.•If^-a.ilt  Ui  jIi  T lit 


Mm 


lls?* 

mU'iA  iir'  -1^ 


':^KkX!r. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/californiaalaska00webb_0 


TO  CALIFORNIA  AND  ALASKA 


Of  this  Letter-press  Edition 
500  Copies  have  been  Printed  for  Sale 


No.  XIC 


April,  i8go 


W-‘ 

i». 

f'ft 

-If 

^ ' ■ *»■  ■ « 

».»•■“=  .tTf.  f 

r.f  ' 


♦ 


■**',4.J.HE  CANi^Dl-^’  PACIFIC  .RAILWAY  ' " 

'.  '4T-.''^»7  A f- f’  S '-■■  ■.•.!;■> 


‘ . ^.ATV 


t 


. I E 


iK 


/ir 


*.T 


^ yrt 


-JL  »» 


-T!*.^-  ■*  .-w  ■ "*  < .• 

•a..'  .*'.  • t i,  * '«  - . '» 

*“*^'  *'  ..  vf^\VL*:y\a.  .,  -,  ■;,*%••" 

^MLUA'M  5PV\'AKl*  Wt:fcH.^,  * ,' 

.^ViW^  .*5  ' 


® * **  ^ ^ {f  f.  '^k* 

•>*  ^ 

■i  . i > , 

■I.  y ‘ 


i;.  ■■ 


ti.n. 


!!^.  C.  p.  '-i,'T'«AM>  5o.'S>> 

CM  •■MCKWOOCitn  PKM  U 

'■‘.  <v  .‘ 


■p  '^  ' 


■ V^. 


V_-'  ♦ ‘ 


r. 


■/S'* 

. 'Vfv 

il'*  • * 'i'  ' 


ETCHING 


Lake  Lotnse,  near  Laggan. 


By  R.  C.  MINOR. 


CALIFORNIA  AND  ALASKA 


AND  OVER 


THE  CANADIAN  PACIFIC  RAILWAY 


WILLIAM  SEWARD  WEBB 


NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 


G.  P.  PUTNAM’S  SONS 

Ube  ■ftntcherbocher  press 

1890 


COPYRIGHT  BY 

WILLIAM  SEWARD  WEBB 

1890 


■Cbe  Tftnichctbocljcr  press,  flew  jgorfe 

Electrotyped,  Printed,  and  Bound  by 
G.  P.  Putnam’s  Sons 


TO 

THE  VALUED  FRIEND  AND  KIND  ADVISER 

JAMES  W.  McLANE,  M.D. 

THIS  BOOK  IS  DEDICATED  BY 


THE  AUTHOR 


INTRODUCTION. 

IN  accordance  with  a time-honored  custom,  I must,  at 
the  outset,  explain  in  a few  words  why  this  work  is 
given  to  the  public. 

In  the  winter  of  1888-9,  ^ determined  upon  taking  a 
trip  with  my  family  across  the  continent  to  the  Pacific 
coast,  and  from  thence  to  the  city  of  Mexico.  A few 
friends  were  invited  to  accompany  us  on  our  journey. 
The  intention  was  to  be  absent  about  three  months  and 
a half,  and  the  ist  of  March,  1889,  was  agreed  upon  as  the 
starting-day.  But  the  severe  illness  of  my  daughter, 
which  began  but  a few  days  prior  to  our  time  for  leaving, 
disarranged  all  our  plans,  and  the  day  of  departure  was 
postponed  until  the  first  week  in  April. 

The  more  I thought  of  this  proposed  journey,  the 
more  interesting  and  important  it  seemed  to  me  in  the 
prospective.  For,  to  me  at  least,  it  was  something  more 
than  a trip  of  pleasure,  as,  indeed,  it  could  not  but  be  to 
any  business  man.  The  journey  would  cover  the  most 
interesting  portion  of  our  country — a stretch  of  territory 
that  is  not  only  the  pride  of  every  native  of  the  United 
States,  but  the  subject  of  never-ceasing  wonder  on  the 


VI 


Introdttction. 


part  of  the  countless  number  of  educated  foreigners  who 
come  to  our  shores  with  the  special  purpose  of  journeying 
over  the  same  ground.  Following  up  this  line  of  thought, 
I determined  that  an  expedition  of  such  interest,  in  which 
I should  enjoy  the  society  not  only  of  my  own  family  but 
of  some  of  my  most-valued  friends,  was  worthy  of  special 
and  unusual  preparation.  Then  it  was  that  I conceived 
the  idea  of  organizing  a private  train  for  the  party,  to 
include  a baggage-car,  a dining-car,  and  two  special  cars. 

This  train  was  to  run  what  railroad  men  call  “special” 
from  start  to  finish,  i.  e.,  it  was  to  be  entirely  independent 
of  time-tables,  starting  when  we  wished  and  running  at  any 
rate  of  speed  we  might  elect.  Of  course,  under  such  a 
scheme  the  party  would  be  relieved  of  any  anxiety  they 
might  otherwise  have  had  in  regard  to  making  con- 
nections. 

There  were  twelve  in  the  party,  to  wit  : Mrs.  Webb, 

Frederika,  Watson,  and  “Toots”  ; Mr.  and  Mrs.  Purdy, 
Dr.  McLane,  Julian  Kean,  George  Bird,  my  brothers 
Louis  and  Frank,  and  myself. 

The  unavoidable  delay  caused  by  the  illness  of  my 
daughter,  already  referred  to,  found  the  season  so  far 
advanced  when  the  time  came  to  start  that  we  were 
obliged  to  omit  our  visit  to  the  city  of  Mexico.  We 
decided,  however,  that  immediately  after  leaving  Omaha 
we  would  travel  to  the  southward  and  eventually  reach 
the  warm  climate  of  Southern  California. 

A journey  like  this,  interesting  under  ordinary  condi- 
tions, would  seem  to  be  especially  noteworthy  for  the 
manner  in  which  it  was  performed,  and,  on  that  account. 


Introdttctio7i.  vii 

worthy  of  being  chronicled.  Hence  it  is  that  I have  seen 
fit  to  give  an  unpretentious  and,  I trust,  not  entirely  unin- 
teresting story  of  our  travels,  supplemented  by  illustra- 
tions which  will  be  found  helpful  as  interpreters  of  the  text. 

The  literature  on  the  subject  of  the  western  part  of 
our  country  is  quite  large,  and  I am  indebted  to  several 
writers  for  the  verification  and  amplification  of  certain 
facts,  which  came  to  my  notice  generally  during  the 
journey — more  particularly  to  the  excellent  works  of 
Brace,  Bowles,  Harper,  Nordhoff,  and  Simpson. 

It  is  said  that  “ travelling  is  no  fool’s  errand  to  him 
who  carries  his  eyes  and  itinerary  along  with  him.”  We 
certainly  took  good  care  to  carry  our  eyes  with  us,  making 
the  best  use  of  them  that  we  could,  and  our  itinerary  was 
practically  laid  out  months  before  we  commenced  our  un- 
dertaking, which,  at  the  close,  we  found  to  have  been  full 
of  wisdom  and  pleasure.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the 
reader  will  receive,  at  least,  a reflection  of  these  pleasant 
experiences  in  a perusal  of  the  following  pages. 


William  Seward  Webb. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

How  We  Travelled 


CHAPTER  II. 

P'rom  New  York  to  Omaha 


CHAPTER  HI. 

Denver  and  Colorado  Sprincjs  . 


CHAPTER  I\ 

The  Parks  of  Colorado 


Santa  PT 


CHAPTER  V. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


PAGE 

I 


4 


I 2 


i8 


23 


Santa  Monica 


IX 


30 


X 


Contents. 


Los  Angeles  . 

CHAPTER  VII. 

PAGE 

35 

Monterey 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

41 

The  Mlssions 

CHAPTER  IX. 

51 

CHAPTER  X. 

Thk  Yosemite  Valley  ......  6o 


.San  P'rancisco 

CHAPTER  XI. 

74 

CHAPTER  XII. 

San  Francisco:  'Fhe  Chinese  Quarter  . 85 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Northern  Calieornia  and  Mount  .Shasta  . 93 

CHAPTER  XIV. 


Montana 


lOI 


Contents. 


XI 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PAGE 

“The  Garden  of  Montana”  . . .112 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

From  St.  Paul  to  Manitoba  . . . .118 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Mountains  and  Gorges  on  the  Canadian 

Pacific  Railway  . . . . . -131 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

From  Kamloops  to  Vancouver  . . . .141 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

I.N  Alaskan  Waters  . . . . . .149 

CHAPTER  XX. 

In  Alaskan  Waters,  ( Concbided)  . . . 160 

CHAPTER  XXL 

X^ictoria — Winnipeg — Hunting  Experiences  . 171 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

From  Winnipeg,  Homeward  Bound 


182 


ETCHINGS. 

INDIA  PROOF  IMPRESSIONS. 


Lake  Loulse,  near  Laggax.  By  R.  C.  Minor,  Frontispiece 
Missio.v  oE  .San  Luis  Rey,  Cal.  By  C.  Y.  Turner,  52 
North  Arm,  Biscotasing  Lake.  B)'  J.  C.  Nicoll,  112 
Muir  G lacier,  Alaska,  l^y  R.  .Swain  Gifford,  166 


FULL-PAGE  PHOTOGRAVURES. 


Interior  of  Car  “ Ellsmere  ” . . . . 

Interior  of  Dining-Car,  Special  Train 
Old  Front  of  San  Miguel  Church,  Santa  Fk 
South  Pasadena,  Sierra  Madre  Mountains,  and 
Raymond  Hotel  ..... 

The  Palms  of  Glenannie  .... 

Olive  Grove  ...... 

Street  View  in  Los  Angele.s 


Hotel  del  Monte,  Monterey  (two  views)  42  and  43 
Arizona  Garden  at  Del  Monte 
The  Lake  at  Monterey  .... 

The  Picnic  Party  at  Monterey 
Old  Live  Oak  at  Monterey 
The  Drive  through  the  Pines,  Monterey 
Rocks,  near  Monterey  .... 

Seal  Rock  Covered  with  Seals,  near  Monterey 
On  the  Coast,  near  Monterey  .... 
Mission  of  Santa  Barbara — Building 


PAGE 

2 

4 

24 

32 

34 

36 

38 


44 

45 

46 

47 

48 

49 

50 

51 

54 


XV 


xvi  F till- page  Photogravures. 

PAGE 

Mission  of  Santa  Barbara — The  Garden  . . 55 

Old  Mission  Church,  near  Monterey  . . 56 

Mission  of  San  Carlos,  near  Monterey  . . 57 

A Farm  Team  near  the  Mission,  Monterey  . 58 

Mariposa  Grove — Big  Trees  ....  60 

El  Caittan,  Yosemite  Valley  ....  62 

Dead  Giant,  Tuolumne  Grove  — Diameter, 

30  FT.  8 IN.  . . . . . . .64 

Yosemite  Valley,  from  Artist’s  Point  . . 66 

Nevada  Falls  .......  68 

Yosemite  P'alls  .......  70 

Glacier  Point  (3,200  feet),  Yosemite  Valley  . 72 

South  Dome,  from  Glacier  Point  • • • 73 

Mount  Shasta,  from  Slsson  ....  94 

Mount  Hood  from  Lost  Lake  . . . .102 

Prickly  Pear  Canyon,  Manitoba  Railroad 

(two  views)  . . . . . 106  and  108 

Great  Falls  of  the  Missouri  River,  Montana,  116 
Cow-Boys,  Manitoba  Railroad  . . . .118 

View  of  Narrows,  Biscotasing  Lake  . .124 

Rear  of  the  Special  Train  at  Field  . .126 

View  of  Special  Train  . . . . .127 

Mount  Stephen,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . 128 

View  of  Special  Train  at  Field,  Showing 

Mt.  Field  in  the  Distance  . . .129 

Lower  Kicking-Horse  Canyon,  near  Golden  . 130 


Full-page  Photogravtc7^es  xvii 


PACK 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Station  and  Mount 

Donald  Glacier  . . . . . -131 

Mount  Donald,  from  Tote  Road  . . .132 

Stony  Creek  Bridge — Height,  296  feet, — Cana- 
dian Pacific  Railway  . . . . 133 

Great  Glacier,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . 134 

Glacier  Hotel  and  Mountain  . . . • 135 

Sailor  Bar  Bluff,  below  Spuzzum,  Canadian 

Pacific  Railway  . . . . . .136 

Top  View,  Sailor  Bar  Bluff  . . . • 137 

Interior  of  Snow-Shed,  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way . . . . . . . .138 

Hermit  Range,  from  Hotel,  Showing  Canadian 

Pacific  Railway  Station  . . . 139 

Supply  or  Tote  Road,  near  Spanish  River  . 140 

Mountain  Creek  Bridge,  Containing  1,500,000 

FEET  Timber,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . 14 1 

P'oREST  Trees,  English  Bay,  Vancouver  . .142 

Douglas  Firs,  on  Vancouver  Town  Site  . .144 

Roadway  in  Stanley  Park,  Vancouver  . 145 

Vancouver,  from  Canadian  Pacific  Railway 

Docks  . . . . . . . .146 

Steamer  “Islander”  ......  147 

Interior  of  Steamboat,  on  Trip  to  Alaska  . 148 

Typical  View  along  the  Coast  of  Alaska  . 149 

Bella  Bella,  Alaska  . . . . . .150 


xviii  Fttll-page  Photogravures. 

PAGE 

Floating  Ice,  near  Muir  Glacier  . . -152 

Lincoln  Street,  East,  Sitka,  Alaska  . .154 

Indian  Chief’s  Grave,  Alaska  . . . .156 

Russian  Block-House,  Sitka,  Alaska  . -158 

Scene  in  Indian  Town,  Sitka,  Alaska  . . 160 

Indian  River  Canyon,  from  “Pinta”  Anchorage,  162 
Favorite  Bay,  “ Home  of  the  Herring,”  Killisnoo,  164 
Juneau  (Alaska)  and  Harbor  . . . .168 

Indian  Village,  Alert  Bay,  Alaska  . . .169 

Wrangel,  Alaska  . . . . . .170 

Fraser  Canyon,  Showing  Four  Tunnels  above 

Spuzzum,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . .172 

Hotel  Banff,  Canadian  National  Park,  Cana- 
dian Pacific  Railway  . . . . .174 

View  from  Banff  Hotel,  Looking  down  Bow 

Valley,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . • G5 

Red  Sucker  Cove,  North  Shore  Lake  Superior, 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . . . .176 

Red  Sucker  Tunnel,  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way . . . . . . . .177 

Main  Street,  Winnipeg  . . . . .178 

A Canadian  Backwoods  Team,  near  Sudbury, 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . . . .179 

Alaskan  Game,  Killisnoo  . . . . .180 

Skirting  Nepigon  Bay,  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 

181 


WAY  , 


Full-page  Photogravures.  xix 


PAGE 

Nepigon  River,  and  Hudson  Bay  Company’s 
Post,  Looking  down  the  River  from  near 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Bridge  . .182 

Thunder  Cape,  Lake  Superior  . . . -183 

Nepigon  Bay,  from  Nepigon  Station  . .184 

Jackfish  Bay,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . 185 

Nepigon  Riyer  and  Bridge,  Canadian  Pacific 

Railway  . . . . . . . .186 

Typical  Railway  View,  North  Shore  Lake 

Superior,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  . .187 

A Tow  ON  Lake  Superior — Coal  Vessels  Re- 
turning FROM  Thunder  Bay  . . .188 

Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Station,  Montreal  . 189 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  CALIFORNIA 
AND  ALASKA. 


CHAPTER  1. 

HOW  WE  TRAVELLED. 

The  special  train  of  four  cars  in  which  we  made 
our  journey  was  probably  the  most  thoroughly 
equipped  and  most  luxurious  one  that  has  ever 
been  used  by  a party  of  travellers.  On  that  account  the 
reader  will  be  interested  in  a description  of  it. 

The  first  car  was  what  is  called  a “combination  car.” 
The  forward  part  of  it  was  used  for  the  storage  of  baggage  ; 
next  to  this  apartment  was  a sleeping-room  for  the  cooks 
and  porters.  After  this  a bath-room,  and  next  adjoining  a 
large  smoking-  or  drawing-room,  at  one  end  of  wfiiich  was 
a Chickering  piano,  and  at  the  other  a desk,  a complete 
library,  and  proper  compartments  for  guns,  fishing-rods, 
and  sporting  paraphernalia.  This  smoking-room  was  in- 
tended as  a sitting-room  for  the  gentlemen  of  the  party 
during  the  evening  or  daytime.  This  car,  called  “ Buffet 
No.  6o,”  was  kindly  loaned  to  me  by  Mr.  John  Newell, 


I 


2 


California  and  Alaska. 


President  of  the  Lake  Shore  and  Michigan  Southern 
Railway  Company. 

The  dining-car  came  next.  All  the  tables  had  been 
taken  from  it,  and  in  their  places  an  ordinary  dining-table, 
side-tables,  etc.,  had  been  put  in,  the  same  as  in  a house. 
Next  came  a car  I had  formerly  used  as  a special  car,  the 
“ Mariquita,”  which  had  been  remodelled  into  a nursery- 
car,  and  which  was  occupied  by  Mrs.  Webb,  the  three 
children,  two  nurses,  and  a maid.  Last  of  all  was  my  new 
private  car  “ Ellsmere.”  This  was  occupied  by  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Purdy,  Dr.  Me  Lane,  Mr.  Louis  Webb,  Mr.  George 
Bird,  Mr.  Julian  Kean,  Mr.  PTank  Webb,  and  myself. 

In  the  Buffet  car  and  the  “ Ellsmere,”  respectively 
the  first  and  last  cars  of  the  train,  were  large  gongs, 
which  could  be  rung  from  any  of  the  cars  ; these  were 
used  in  the  daytime  to  call  servants  from  one  part  of  the 
train  to  the  other,  and  were  to  be  used  at  night  in  case  of 
an  attack  by  highwaymen.  There  have  been  cases  here- 
tofore where  trains,  like  stage-coaches  of  old,  have  been 
“ held  up  ” and  their  occupants  compelled  to  deliver  up 
their  valuables  at  the  urgent  request  of  some  desperate 
border  ruffian.  Such  instances  are,  of  course,  not 
very  common  in  the  present  advanced  state  of  Western 
civilization,  but  we  thought  it  advisable  to  follow 
the  Irishman’s  simgrestion — “ it  is  better  to  be  sure 
than  sorry,” — and  we  were  consequently  well  prepared 
to  give  any  such  intruders  a warm  reception.  Our 
crew  of  men  on  the  train  during  the  daytime  was  in 
charge  of  Col.  Oscar  Eastmond,  who  had  served  in  the 
United  States  army  during  the  war,  and  since  then  had 


Interior  of  Car 


Ell smereC 


\ 


S \- 


!• 


r 

'«v. 


' .-  ^ -i 


K 


V#"*  ...V  'VI  .... 


‘♦‘fthkr  -nr  J^k'‘  ^hvrc  Soathcm'?^ 

ffai#  ♦ ''^X:  ' ,«  * ■;?:)? ^ ffli 

4i’V  been 


I ' ii;  ia'«.Utmse.|/  ^or| 

V ' 'i,.  ^ y ^ ^inwiai  car/tbei^3^. 


»i)to  4 nurs<^-^ 
T*W.,  the  tJ»ree 
lyak  nfA(L^i*e  ’any  new 


ynk  W *’  ^ <N-ii;|jj||i^^^r.  and.,  " 


- + .'.  . f>  ^vll 

I 4^  ^talc  1^  <B 

f tW(in'  «t!frry»>^-.  ^sUbre  ‘co»!fibr{iicnU|£^  pirejwwreji^ 

lo  pvr  uoy^  4»?;ir»><kfi^^  \5rat^  Otar  "* 


< 


• V , ~ .j* 

cmw.  o(  fnen^^frt  ^h(«.  unr*»  tUrrtng  tbe^  t ■wa-s  in  j ♦ 


cbjirj/e  af  CnL  0*4caf  'wK)^..hadf  J^»rvcd  in,  di«^ 

. a..- si.,« . 


. • , •*  : 
t'l?- ■■'■.." 
% --MM 


3 


How  I'Ve  Travelled. 

been  holding  the  position  of  conductor.  On  our  road  to 
the  Pacific  coast  we  had  one  of  Pinkerton’s  best  detectives, 
who  took  charge  of  the  train  at  night.  After  leaving  the 
Pacific  coast,  Col.  Eastmond  took  charge  of  the  train  at 
night,  and  slept  in  the  daytime. 

The  cooking  on  board  our  train  was  in  the  hands  of 
two  of  the  oldest  and  best-tried  cooks  on  the  road,  and 
eight  of  the  best  porters  were  selected  for  the  party.  The 
train  was  also  so  arranged  as  to  be  heated  by  steam  from 
the  engrines. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Van  Horne,  of  Montreal, 
a new  steel  steamship,  belonging  to  the  Canadian  Pacific 
.Steamship  Company,  and  which,  about  this  time,  had  just 
arrived  on  the  Pacific  coast,  was  chartered  for  a two 
weeks’  cruise  in  Alaskan  waters.  She  was  entered  as  the 
writer’s  yacht  in  the  Yacht  Club,  and  carried  his  yachting 
colors  during  the  cruise. 

Our  start  from  under  the  45th  Street  bridge  at  the 
Grand  Central  Depot,  in  the  great  metropolis,  was 
marked  by  more  than  the  ordinary  excitement  which 
usually  attends  events  of  that  kind.  A large  number  of 
friends  had  gathered  there  to  see  the  party  start  out, 
and  to  wave  their  parting  salutes  as  they  called  out  “a 
pleasant  journey  and  a safe  return  ” — a journey  which  was 
to  take  us  four  times  across  the  continent,  up  into  the 
land  of  seals,  and  through  the  British  dominions. 


CHAPTER  II. 

FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  OMAHA. 

WE  arrived  at  Niagara  Falls  on  Sunday  morning, 
the  7th  of  April.  We  spent  some  time  in 
admiring  the  scenery,  which  was  of  course 
not  new  to  us,  and  with  which  the  reader  is  probably 
familiar.  The  Falls  of  Niagara  are  beautiful  at  all  times, 
but  there  was  something  in  the  rich,  golden  sunrise  of  that 
lovely  April  morning  which  lent  an  additional  beauty  to 
the  view.  The  sight  of  such  a sunrise  recalled  our  early 
reading  of  “ Childe  Harold”  : 

The  morn  is  up  again,  the  dewy  morn, 

With  breath  all  incense,  and  with  cheeks  all  bloom. 

Laughing  the  clouds  away  with  playful  scorn, 

And  living  as  if  earth  contained  no  tomb, — 

And  glowing  into  day. 

We  started  for  Detroit  at  a few  moments  past  five  in 
the  morning,  our  first  stop  being  at  St.  Thomas,  one  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  miles  from  the  Falls,  where  we  changed 
engines.  The  distance  from  St.  Thomas  to  Windsor,  one 
hundred  and  eleven  miles,  we  ran  in  one  hundred  and 
seven  minutes. 


4 


hitet'ior  of  Dtnin^-Cai\  Special  Train, 


^ ¥ 


'W  ^ f uiimiv  liV.  .-S__j^_^^  ^ 0 

. • S'f'**':  PROM  NEWJfQBK  TQ  OWAHA.  : 

"i.  ■ ' .'■.PI- 

.9  *! 


r ■ '■^.,''1  , :r^  V . 

E on  Sbnday  mcnrung. 


tKc  W4,si(Kjnt  some^^  > 

•rfV'  t|[V  yfSif  Wlticli  reader  »3^  j 

b«c  lh<N¥'  ^ tomechHgjiii  k!>fi  rteH.  i- inme  prtbat, ’ 

k>vely  Afti^toomihg  W^n<  ^ w a^ldiiionaf  bcatt^^toc^  », 

%hc,vlcv.  Tho-sigbi  a swnrw«YecaUe^ 


' \fd  Uv^iflif  U H <jpn|amed  i ■ 

V^  glowlof  maj  «iftr-  '.  . 

L-Wc  starved  for  l.)<itn>i^  at  aVew  mOnjgntai  pgj|^c  tn  ^- ' 


\ morning,  oiir  #TJ%t 'Uop^^bciis^  f i 

^ -.  iMT.d  fiff^n  nui^  froin  ihe''%aB.s  M’befi  Ke,^ 

' * 1 ■ _r  - ■'■■.-  4*-  ,'►.■•■  ..®*' 


M ■"  dist«rtiS;fe’(jw  St  Thomas  to  \V^r1s(^bn^ 

, ^ j,r>d  eleven  mU<%  wc  ran  id- one  ^iuimi|and.  V 


8<ecn  mjfiutcA, 


« (' 


From  iVew  York  to  Omaha. 


5 


At  Windsor,  where  the  transport  was  in  waiting  and 
where  we  were  transferred  to  the  Detroit  side,  our  first 
mishap  occurred.  In  taking  the  train  off  the  transport, 
the  coupling  between  the  “Mariquita”  and  the  dining-car 
was  broken.  This  caused  a delay  of  three  quarters  of  an 
hour.  From  Detroit  to  Chicago  our  running  time  was 
faster,  if  any  thing,  than  on  the  Canada  Southern  division, 
the  indicator  at  one  time  registering  a speed  of  sixty-nine 
miles  an  hour.  Between  Niles  and  Michigan  City,  a dis- 
tance of  thirty-six  and  a half  miles,  we  covered  in  the 
remarkable  time  of  thirty-two  minutes,  including  one  stop 
for  grade  crossing,  which  occupied  at  least  two  minutes. 
We  arrived  at  Kensington,  near  Chicago,  at  5.06,  having 
made  the  run  from  Suspension  Bridge  to  Kensington, 
four  hundred  and  ninety-seven  and  a half  miles,  in  eleven 
hours  and  eleven  minutes,  not  including  the  delay  of 
three  quarters  of  an  hour  at  Detroit.  All  switches  were 
spiked,  and  all  freight  and  passenger  trains  side-tracked  to 
enable  us  to  make  this  fast  run.  Notwithstanding  the 
remarkable  speed  at  which  we  travelled,  none  of  the  party 
realized  the  rapid  rate  at  which  we  ran  all  day. 

In  thinking  over  these  wonderful  performances  of 
locomotive  speed  we  are  reminded  of  the  phenomenal 
growth  and  development  of  the  railway  in  the  last  century. 
It  seems  almost  incredible  that  the  first  locomotive,  in- 
vented in  London  only  eighty-five  years  ago,  could  not 
make  steam,  and  could  neither  travel  fast  nor  draw  a 
heavy  load.  The  first  locomotive  in  this  country  was  run 
in  1829,  and  operated  by  the  Delaware  and  Hudson  Canal 
Company,  connecting  the  coal  mines  with  the  canal.  That 


6 


Califor7iia  and  Alaska. 


same  year,  Peter  Cooper  experimented  with  a little  locomo- 
tive, and  once  related,  with  great  glee,  how,  on  the  trial 
trip,  he  had  beaten  a gray  horse  attached  to  another  car. 

On  our  arrival  at  Chicago  our  division  superintendent, 
Mr.  Spoor,  and  a number  of  railroad  men  were  waiting  to 
meet  us.  The  party,  with  the  exception  of  the  children, 
went  to  the  Richelieu  Hotel,  where  we  dined.  In  the 
meantime  the  train  was  sent  on  the  belt  line  to  the 
Chicago  and  Northwestern  Depot. 

We  left  Chicago  a little  after  eight  o’clock  Monday 
morning,  April  8th,  and  arrived  in  Council  Bluffs,  four 
hundred  and  ninety-three  miles  from  Chicago,  in  about 
twelve  hours,  the  quickest  time  that  has  ever  been  made 
between  these  two  points.  As  on  the  Michigan  Central, 
the  road  was  cleared,  and  the  switches  were  spiked  the  entire 
distance.  We  had  only  one  engine  with  the  same  engineer 
all  the  distance  from  Chicago  to  Council  Bluffs.  This  cir- 
cumstance is  remarkable,  for  the  distance  has  never  been 
covered  before  in  one  run  by  one  engine.  The  officials  of 
the  road,  however,  had  spare  engines  at  different  points,  fired 
up  with  crews  in  waiting  to  take  the  place  of  ours  should  any 
thing  give  out.  A master  mechanic  was  also  sent  all  the 
way  through  with  the  train,  in  order  to  be  in  readiness 
should  any  accident  occur  to  the  engine.  Our  engineer, 
not  being  accustomed  to  the  last  three  divisions  of  the 
road,  had  a pilot  over  each  division,  and  was  thus  enabled 
to  keep  up  his  high  speed. 

On  our  arrival  at  Council  Bluffs,  through  some  mis- 
understanding, the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  had  an  engine 
and  crew  ready  to  take  us  through  “ special  ” to  Ogden, 


From  New  York  to  Omaha. 


7 


they  having  conceived  the  idea  that  it  was  our  intention 
to  go  directly  through  to  the  Pacific  coast  via  the  Union 
and  Central  Pacific  lines,  and  had  arranged  to  give  us  a 
very  fast  run  to  the  coast.  There  is  no  doubt  that  had 
we  gone  by  their  line  we  should  have  made  the  quickest 
time  from  ocean  to  ocean  that  has  ever  been  made,  or 
is  likely  to  be  made  for  years  to  come.  Mr.  Orr,  their 
representative,  met  us  at  the  Union  Depot,  and  taking 
special  engine  and  car  we  went  with  him  to  see  the  city  of 
Omaha,  returning  late  in  the  evening. 

Council  Bluffs  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  Western 
Iowa.  As  early  as  1846  it  was  known  as  a Mormon  settle- 
ment and  called  Kanesville,  a name  which  it  retained  until 
1853,  when  the  Legislature  granted  a charter  designating 
the  place  as  the  City  of  Council  Bluffs.  The  city  includes 
within  her  corporate  limits  about  twenty-four  square  miles, 
and  the  surrounding  country  is  rich  in  farming  land. 

P'rom  the  appearance  of  the  country  we  passed  through 
at  this  time  we  were  reminded  that  spring-time  was  at 
hand.  In  various  sections  we  saw  the  farmers  ploughing, 
and  the  grass  starting  out  of  the  ground.  The  soil  was 
of  a dark  color,  evidently  of  sufficient  richness  to  be  inde- 
pendent of  a fertilizer.  One  does  not  wonder  that  farmers 
in  this  section  of  the  country  can  raise  from  forty  to  forty- 
five  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre. 

When  we  entered  the  State  of  Iowa,  which  we  did 
after  passing  Fulton,  the  large  amount  of  stock,  especially 
cattle,  seen  on  every  farm,  was  particularly  noticeable. 

At  every  town  between  Chicago  and  Omaha  there 
were  groups  of  people  at  the  various  stations,  ranging  in 


8 


California  and  Alaska. 


numbers  from  fifty  to  five  hundred,  waiting  to  see  our 
train  go  through.  For  it  was  known  all  along  the  line  of 
the  road  that  our  excursion  party  was  coming,  from  the 
fact  that  the  switches  at  all  stations  had  been  spiked,  all 
trains  side-tracked,  and  employes  of  the  road  near  the 
several  stations  had  been  placed  with  white  flags  at  the 
different  crossings  just  previous  to  the  passage  of  the 
train.  These  peculiar  preparations,  of  course,  brought  an 
inquiring  crowd  about,  who  waited  to  see  our  train  pass 
through. 

o 

The  city  of  Omaha,  to  which  point  our  special  train 
was  taken  on  the  morning  of  the  qth,  furnishes  a striking 
example  of  Western  growth  and  enterprise.  Each  time 
that  the  visitor  stops  here  he  finds  some  new  evidence  of 
improvement.  Portions  of  the  town  that,  but  a few  months 
before,  were  barren  plains,  are  laid  out  in  streets  and  lined 
with  substantial  houses  of  fine  appearance.  The  railroad 
terminals  and  properties  near  the  depot  serve  to  indicate 
that  this  city  is  one  of  the  most  important  railroad  centres 
of  the  West. 

Omaha  was  settled  in  1854,  when  a few  squatters  fixed 
upon  this  section  for  their  residence,  the  country  at  that 
time  being  a part  of  the  Territory  of  Nebraska.  The 
situation  of  the  town  commands  for  it  an  extensive  trade 
with  the  West.  The  shops  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad, 
the  smelting  works  for  refining  silver  ore  from  the  moun- 
tains, and  manufactories  of  various  kinds  give  employment 
to  many  mechanics  and  laborers.  The  bridge  across  the 
Missouri,  built  by  the  Union  Pacific  Company,  and  costing 
over  a million  dollars,  is  one  of  the  finest  structures  of  the 


Fro))i  Xew  Vo7'k  to  Omaha. 


9 


kind  in  the  country.  It  stands  sixty  feet  above  high-water 
mark,  and  has,  besides  a railroad  track,  a street-car  track 
and  wagon  way. 

The  ride  from  Omaha  to  Kansas  City  was  through  a 
part  of  the  country  which  was  new  to  most  of  us,  and  full 
of  interest.  We  followed  the  river  route  the  whole  dis- 
tance to  Kansas  City,  passing  the  city  of  Leavenworth, 
one  of  the  largest  and  most  flourishing  towns  in  the  State, 
surrounded  by  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  regions  in 
the  valley  of  the  Missouri.  In  1853,  only  thirty-six  years 
ago,  the  site  of  this  city  was  covered  with  hazel-brush,  and 
wolves  roamed  about  the  country  unmolested.  Now  it 
has  schools,  churches,  academies,  and  theatres.  It  is  the 
headquarters  for  outfitting  government  supply  trains  for 
Western  posts,  and  has  a very  large  trade  with  the  Terri- 
tories. The  government  farm,  located  here,  is  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  productive  in  the  country.  Fort  Leaven- 
worth, two  miles  from  the  city,  is  situated  on  a bluff  one 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  high,  and  was  established  in  1827. 
Connected  with  the  fort  is  stabling  for  eight  thousand 
horses  and  fifteen  thousand  mules. 

Our  stop  at  Omaha  was  made  particularly  agreeable 
and  noteworthy  from  the  fact  that,  soon  after  our  arrival, 
bishop  Worthington  of  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of  Nebraska 
called  upon  us,  and  took  the  ladies  of  the  party  for  a drive 
around  the  city.  We  did  not  have  such  a pleasant  experi- 
ence at  Kansas  City.  Through  some  misunderstanding 
on  the  part  of  the  railroad  officials,  our  train,  instead  of 
being  taken  into  the  depot,  was  left  in  the  freight  yards. 
•\s  a result  of  this  arrangement,  the  ladies  were  deprived 


lo  California  and  Alaska. 

of  the  pleasure  of  visiting  various  points  of  interest  in  the 
city.  Some  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  party,  with  consider- 
able difficulty,  managed  to  find  their  way  to  the  passenger 
depot,  and  rode  about  town  in  the  well-known  cable  cars. 
Though  Kansas  City  was  settled  in  1830,  it  was  twenty- 
five  years  before  it  began  to  improve  and  increase  in 
population.  After  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  its  com- 
merce was  almost  ruined,  but  with  peace  came  prosperity, 
and  since  1865  its  advance  has  been  marvellous.  Kansas 
City  has  the  honor  of  having  built  the  first  bridge  across 
the  Missouri,  which  it  did  at  a cost  of  one  million  dollars. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  at  this  place  the  Pinkerton  night- 
watchman  reported  for  duty — his  services  being  considered 
necessary  from  Kansas  City  to  San  P'rancisco. 

When  passing  through  Topeka,  on  the  Atchison,  To- 
peka, and  Santa  P'e  Railroad,  Mr.  Robinson,  the  General 
Manager  of  the  road,  called  upon  us  and,  on  behalf  of  the 
President  of  the  company,  extended  to  us  the  use  of  his 
company’s  line  on  our  Western  trip,  courteously  adding 
that  arrangements  had  been  made  to  make  our  trip  as 
pleasant  as  possible. 

The  country  through  which  we  passed  at  this  time, 
though  very  flat  and  sparsely  populated,  seemed  admirably 
adapted  to  farming.  The  appearance  of  the  farms  and 
buildings  showed  that  the  people  enjoyed  more  than  the 
usual  degree  of  prosperity  peculiar  to  pastoral  life. 

A notable  sight  served  to  recall  the  past  history  of  this 
country,  and  place  it  in  sharp  contrast  with  the  present — 
this  was  the  old  cattle  trails  used  by  ranchmen  in  driving 
their  cattle  from  Texas  and  the  South  into  Montana, 


From  New  York  to  Omaha. 


1 1 


Wyoming,  and  Dakota,  before  railroads  had  been  built  to 
perform  such  service  quickly  and  cheaply.  Sitting  in  our 
luxuriously  appointed  palace-car,  and  noting  this  point  of 
interest,  together  with  the  overland  wagon  roads  used  in 
former  years,  we  could  not  but  recall  the  vast  progress  that 
has  been  made  of  late  years  in  furnishing  transportation 
facilities  for  a journey  across  the  continent. 


CHAPTER  III. 

DENVER  AND  COLORADO  SPRINGS. 

WE  reached  Pueblo,  the  chief  city  of  Southern 
Colorado,  on  the  evening  of  April  loth, 
where  we  were  delayed  for  two  hours,  owing 
to  a wash-out.  The  .Spanish-speaking  people  and  the 
French  hunters  and  trappers  who  lived  in  this  section 
before  the  march  of  improvement  began,  gave  queer- 
sounding names  to  the  mountains,  streams,  and  the  small 
settlements  as  they  began  to  be  formed.  Pueblo  is  a 
sample ; but  when  the  early  settlers  came  they  soon 
changed  all  this,  and  the  brakemen  on  the  Western  roads 
certainly  have  cause  to  be  thankful  that  plain  Anglo-Saxon 
names  have  replaced  the  queer  titles  that  were  common  in 
the  early  days. 

It  was  so  cold  coming  up  the  grade  over  the  mountains 
that  we  had  to  build  fires  in  all  the  cars,  but  when  we 
reached  Denver  we  found  the  weather  warm  and  pleasant. 
Our  stop  at  this  point  was  made  more  agreeable  from  the 
fact  that  we  received  our  mail,  which  had  come  over  the 
Union  Pacific  line  from  Chica<TO.  We  sent  a mail-baij 
East  with  letters  from  all  parties  to  relatives  and  friends 


12 


Denver  and  Colorado  Springs. 


13 


at  home.  The  chronicler  of  the  expedition  had  talked  into 
a phonograph  a diary  of  the  experiences  that  had  befallen 
the  party  since  starting  from  New  York.  The  cylinders 
containing  this  material  were  included  in  the  outgoing 
mail,  and  were  in  such  a shape  that  they  could  be  tran- 
scribed by  a clerk  into  “ every-day  English.” 

Denver  has  a right  to  lay  claim  to  the  title  “Queen 
City  of  the  Plains”;  it  is  to-day  one  of  the  largest  and, 
in  many  respects,  one  of  the  handsomest  towns  in  the 
West.  Twenty  years  ago  its  population  was  only  fifteen 
hundred  ; to-day  it  has  over  eighty  thousand  inhabitants. 
Thirty  years  ago  the  inhabitants  formed  an  odd  social 
mixture.  There  were  refined  and  educated  men  from  the 
Eastern  towns,  and  there  were  rough  and  disreputable 
characters,  hailing  from  the  purlieus  of  our  great  cities 
and  the  rough  settlements  of  the  far  West,  all  animated 
with  one  purpose — the  search  for  gold.  In  1873  Denver 
suffered  from  the  financial  disaster  which  had  been  felt  in 
the  East,  and  in  1875  1876  it  was  visited  with  the 

grasshopper  plague,  which  resulted  in  a great  loss  of 
crops  and  the  withdrawal  of  a large  amount  of  capital  from 
the  banks.  After  these  clouds  of  adversity  came  the  sun- 
shine of  prosperity,  only  two  years  later,  in  1877,  when 
the  export  of  beeves  was  the  largest  ever  known.  Two 
years  ago  the  real-estate  sales  amounted  to  $29,345,451, 
an  increase  of  eighteen  millions  over  those  for  the  year 
1886. 

Though  Denver  is  a thorough,  go-ahead,  practical  city, 
where  money  and  business  enterprise  are  highly  appreci- 
ated and  made  the  most  of,  it  is  claimed  that  the  town 


H 


California  and  Alaska. 


contains  more  resident  college  graduates  than  any  other 
town  of  the  same  size  in  the  United  States.  It  makes  no 
pretensions  to  be  a literary  centre  ; the  class  of  literature 
found  in  its  wholesale  and  retail  book-stores,  however, 
shows  it  to  be  abreast  of  the  culture  of  the  day. 

Denver  may  be  called  the  commercial  centre  of  Col- 
orado, and,  in  some  respects,  resembles  the  thriving  town 
of  Springfield,  Massachusetts.  It  is  situated  on  a series 
of  plateaus,  fifteen  miles  from  the  foot  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  selection  of  the  site  was  made  by  acci- 
dent. The  early  gold-hunters  who  went  into  the  State 
found  a few  grains  of  gold  in  the  sandy  bed  of  Cherry 
Creek,  a small  stream  that  flows  into  the  South  Platte 
River  near  the  town.  The  hunters  called  the  place 
Auraria,  a decidedly  appropriate  cognomen.  When  it 
became  known  that  gold  had  been  found  in  this  vicinity, 
hunters  came  from  all  parts  of  the  States  as  well  as  New 
Mexico,  and  it  became,  even  for  those  times,  a thriving 
settlement,  where  hunters  and  miners  could  replenish 
their  stores  and  complete  their  outfits  for  expeditions  into 
the  mountains.  As  a matter  of  fact  very  little  gold  was 
found  here,  but  the  adventurers  kept  up  the  delusion  of 
the  fabulous  richness  of  the  mountain  placers  as  long  as 
they  could.  When  the  bubble  finally  burst,  the  town  was 
named  Denver,  in  honor  of  Col.  J.  W.  Denver,  who  was 
then  the  Governor  of  Kansas,  in  which  all  this  mountain 
region  was  then  included. 

Fifteen  railroads  to-day  centre  in  Denver.  The  Union 
Depot  Avould  be  a credit  to  any  of  our  well-developed 


Denver  and  Colorado  Springs. 


15 


Eastern  cities.  It  is  constructed  almost  entirely  of  stone 
quarried  in  the  State,  and  is  503  feet  long  by  69  feet 
wide.  The  central  tower  is  165  feet  high,  and  contains 
an  illuminated  clock.  An  idea  can  be  formed  of  the  im- 
mense amount  of  railroad  traffic  carried  on  in  this  structure 
when  it  is  stated  that  over  two  hundred  thousand  pieces  of 
baggage  are  handled  within  its  walls  in  the  course  of  a 
year. 

Denver  is  practically  supported  by  the  three  great 
industries,  mining,  agriculture,  and  stock-raising.  Though 
silver  was  not  found  until  1870,  the  yield  of  that  metal  in 
1886  was  nearly  $17,000,000.  Ore  Is  sent  to  the  city  not 
only  from  Colorado  but  from  New  Mexico  and  Old  Mex- 
ico, Montana,  Arizona,  Idaho,  Oregon,  Nevada,  and  South 
America.  Of  six  million  acres  of  agricultural  land  in 
Colorado,  two  thirds  have  been  taken  up,  and  millions 
of  dollars  are  invested  in  raising  cattle  and  sheep. 

The  city  itself  has  a very  inviting  appearance.  We 
drove  through  its  handsome  streets,  and  admired  the 
beautiful  residences  and  buildings  to  be  seen  on  every 
hand,  not  forgetting  that  this  wonderful  development  was 
the  growth  of  the  last  twenty-five  years. 

After  seeing  every  thing  of  interest  in  the  city,  and 
obtaining  certain  necessary  supplies,  we  left  for  Colorado 
Springs.  This  is  a beautiful  city,  charmingly  situated  at 
the  foot  of  Pike’s  Peak.  When  Lieutenant  Zebulon  Pike 
was  ordered,  in  1806,  by  General  Wilkinson,  to  explore 
the  region  between  Missouri  and  the  frontier  of  Mexico, 
he  described  the  great  peak,  saying  that  it  “appeared  like 


i6 


California  and  Alaska. 


a small  blue  cloud.”  He  named  it  Mexican  Mountain, 
but  afterwards,  in  honor  of  his  bravery,  it  was  given  the 
name  of  Pike’s  Peak. 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  we  owe  the 
existence  of  Colorado  Springs  to  a railroad  company — or 
rather,  to  the  National  Land  and  Improvement  Company, 
which  was  started  by  the  Denver  and  Rio  Grande  Railway 
Company.  This  organization  purchased  a tract  of  land, 
five  miles  distant  from  the  Springs,  and  spent  large  sums 
in  laying  out  broad  streets  and  planting  along  their  sides 
rows  of  cottonwood  trees.  It  expended  forty  thousand 
dollars  for  the  construction  of  a canal  so  that  water  could 
be  brought  to  the  town.  In  order  to  develop  the  place,  it 
gave  a valuable  building  lot  for  church  purposes  to  each 
of  the  Christian  denominations.  Each  deed  of  land  pro- 
vided a heavy  penalty  in  case  liquor  should  be  sold,  or 
otherwise  disposed  of,  on  the  premises. 

How  far  these  temperance  principles  are  carried  out  at 
the  present  time,  we  do  not  know.  W e have  heard,  how- 
ever, that  when  a man  wants  his  beer,  he  gets  a certificate 
of  membership  in  a “beer”  club,  thus  becoming  a share- 
holder, and  the  law  cannot  prevent  him  from  using  the 
beverage. 

Colorado  Springs  is  noted,  far  and  near,  as  a health 
resort,  and,  during  the  summer  months,  its  hotels  are 
crowded  with  health-seekers  from  Western  Kansas  and 
Southern  California.  In  the  winter  season  many  New 
Yorkers  and  residents  of  our  large  Eastern  cities  are 
seen  on  its  streets.  According  to  competent  medical 
authority,  the  climate  and  waters  are  good  in  cases  of 


Denver  and  Coloiaido  Springs. 


1 7 

nervous  exhaustion,  bad  circulation,  defective  nutrition, 
and  malaria.  The  climate  is  also  said  to  be  good  for 
consumptives,  setting  the  healthy  processes  of  life  going 
with  increased  viofor.  Persons  who  are  affected  with 
heart  trouble,  however,  are  not  advised  to  visit  this 
section  of  the  country. 

3 


I 

J 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  PARKS  OF  COLORADO. 

ON  the  morning-  of  April  12th,  soon  after  break- 
fast, our  party  divided,  some  starting  in  car- 
riages, and  some  on  horseback,  for  Manitou 
and  the  Garden  of  the  Gods,  others  taking  a different 
direction. 

Manitou,  much  to  the  delight  of  its  residents,  has 
gained  the  name  of  the  Saratoga  of  the  West.  It  is 
about  five  miles  from  Colorado  Springs,  and  has  grown 
from  a small  settlement  of  log  cabins  to  a good-sized 
village.  It  lies  at  the  base  of  Pike’s  Peak,  and  seems 
perfectly  hemmed  in  by  surrounding  hills,  and  altogether 
shut  off  from  the  outside  world.  The  air  is  very  fine,  and 
the  waters  are  said  to  be  a cure  for  rheumatism,  liver 
troubles,  blood  poisoning,  and  diabetes.  It  seems  that 
the  Indians  of  Colorado,  in  early  times,  were  in  the  habit 
of  using  these  waters  when  they  felt  the  need  of  a tonic. 
The  beneficial  effects  of  the  climate  and  the  waters  are 
illustrated  by  the  saying  of  the  Western  man,  that  he  was 
kept  there  simply  as  an  example  of  what  the  country 
would  do  for  a man,  adding,  that  he  came  from  Chicago 
on  a mattress. 


18 


19 


The  Parks  of  Colorado. 

“ The  Garden  of  the  Gods  ” is  tlie  fanciful  title  which 
has  been  bestowed  upon  a valley  of  small  dimensions, 
lying  about  four  miles  from  Colorado  Springs.  Its  special 
features  are  a number  of  shelf-like  rocks,  upheaved  into 
perpendicular  position,  some  of  them  rising  to  about  three 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height.  The  road  enters  the  Gar- 
den through  a narrow  passage-way,  between  two  towering 
but  narrow  ledges  of  cliffs.  This  entrance  is  called  the 
gateway.  The  rocks  are  mostly  of  a very  soft  brilliantly 
red  sandstone,  although  one  ridge  of  cliffs  is  of  a white 
sandstone.  Some  of  the  foot-hills  in  the  vicinity  are 
surmounted  by  similar  upheavals,  forming  ridges  of  ser- 
rated rock,  while  round  the  main  cliff  in  the  valley  are 
separate  spire-like  columns.  These  rock  formations  for 
years  have  been  a feature  of  peculiar  interest  to  the 
treolofjist. 

These  parks  are  really  nothing  more  than  large  fertile 
valleys,  shut  in  by  the  spurs  or  branches  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  North  Park,  which  lies  in  the  extreme  north- 
ern part  of  the  State,  has  not  been  thoroughly  explored 
and  settled,  owing  to  its  remote  situation  and  colder 
climate.  Its  forests  abound  with  bear,  deer,  and  other 
wild  game,  and  it  is  a favorite  resort  for  the  adventurous 
sportsman. 

Middle  Park  is  directly  south  of  North  Park,  and  is 
surrounded  by  Long’s  Peak,  Gray’s  Peak,  and  Mount 
Lincoln,  each  from  thirteen  thousand  to  fifteen  thousand 
feet  high.  Its  territory  is  made  up  of  forests  and  large, 
expansive  meadows,  among  the  grasses  of  which  will 
be  found  wild  flowers  of  nearly  every  hue.  South  Park 


20 


California  and  Alaska. 


lies  below.  It  is  surrounded  by  high  mountains,  and  its 
climate  and  scenery  are  delightful. 

San  Luis  Park,  in  Southern  Colorado,  is  about  twice 
the  size  of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire.  In  its  centre 
there  is  a beautiful  lake,  and  its  mountains  are  covered 
with  forests  of  pine,  fir,  spruce,  oak,  and  cedar,  and  large 
meadows  which  produce  a rich  growth  of  grasses.  Cattle 
obtain  the  most  wholesome  subsistence  on  the  grasses  of 
the  plains  below,  and  medicinal  springs  are  found  in  every 
direction. 

Monument  Park,  which  is  reached  by  the  Rio  Grande 
and  Denver  road,  is  so  called  from  its  resemblance  to 
a vast  cemetery  containing  monuments  of  a departed  and 
long-forgotten  race.  These  monuments  are  composed  of 
a very  close  conglomerate,  surmounted  by  a material  of 
darker  color  and  harder  texture. 

Two  of  our  party,  on  this  occasion,  with  an  engine  and 
one  of  our  cars,  took  a trip  up  the  Colorado  Midland  Rail- 
road, over  the  mountains,  as  far  as  Green  Mountain  Park. 
This  is  a beautiful,  sequestered  little  nook,  and  contains  a 
summer  hotel,  surrounded  by  green  and  well-kept  lawns. 
There  is  a fountain,  too,  and  the  whole  appearance  of  the 
place  is  in  striking  contrast  with  the  cold  peaks  of  granite 
and  snow  that  surround  the  settlement.  On  our  return  we 
took  up  the  rest  of  the  party  at  a way  station,  and  all  re- 
turned to  Colorado  Springs. 

The  scenery  on  the  Colorado  Midland  road  is  ex- 
tremely fine,  and  the  journey  was  especially  interesting, 
from  the  fact  that  we  saw  some  wonderful  specimens  of 
engineering  work.  The  bridges  and  viaducts  on  this  road 


The  Parks  of  Colorado.  21 

are  truly  remarkable.  In  places  the  grade  is  from  two 
hundred  and  eighty  to  three  hundred  and  ten  feet  a mile. 
The  curves  are  very  frequent ; the  road-bed  winding 
first  through  a tunnel,  then  passing  over  a precipice 
across  gorges,  all  the  time  pursuing  a serpentine  course, 
now  twisting  this  way,  now  that,  in  making  the  ascent 
of  the  mountain.  So  steep  are  the  grades  that  not  more 
than  twelve  freight  cars  are  allowed  to  go  down  the  moun- 
tain with  one  engine,  and  six  of  these  are  required  to  be 
equipped  with  air  brakes. 

As  the  railroad  pursues  its  winding  way  along  the  side 
of  the  mountain,  the  passengers  can  look  down  Into  the 
gorge  below,  and  see  the  old  road  which  the  Forty-niners 
used  in  their  perilous  trips  across  the  continent  to  the  gold- 
fields. Many  travellers,  it  is  said,  were  waylaid  and  killed 
in  this  .section  by  the  Indians;  and  many  others  lay  down 
to  die,  utterly  worn  out  with  fatigue,  after  their  long 
and  unsuccessful  wanderings  in  .search  of  the  precious 
metal. 

From  Colorado  Springs  we  went  to  Pueblo.  At  that 
place,  through  the  courtesy  of  the  officials  of  the  Denver 
and  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  an  observation  car  was  placed  at 
our  disposal,  and  we  made  a run  over  their  line  of  about 
forty-four  miles  to  Canon  City,  through  the  Royal  Gorge, 
in  which  the  Arkansas  River  runs. 

In  many  places  the  sides  of  the  canyon  through  which 
this  stream  flows  are  so  close  that  the  only  way  a railroad 
could  be  built  there  was  by  putting  rafters  from  one  side  to 
the  other  and  suspending  the  track  from  them  over  the 
surging  torrent  beneath. 


22 


California  and  Alaska. 


Our  party  enjoyed  this  trip  very  much,  and  returned  to 
Pueblo  in  time  for  dinner.  Mr.  Drake,  Superintendent 
of  the  Atchison,  Topeka,  and  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  now  left 
us,  having  been  in  our  company  two  days  ; he  had  shown 
us  all  the  points  of  interest  along  the  route. 


A 


1 


CHAPTER  V. 

SANTA  FE. 

ON  the  morning  of  April  13th  vve  left  Trinidad  with 
one  enormous  consolidated  locomotive  and  one 
mogul  locomotive,  and  started  over  the  Raton 
Range.  The  grade  at  this  point  is  very  steep,  and  it 
took  these  two  heavy  engines  to  haul  our  train  over.  A 
little  over  thirty  years  ago,  “ the  Army  of  the  West,”  then 
under  command  of  General  Kearny,  marched  over  almost 
the  same  route  the  railroad  takes  to-day.  When  the 
soldiers  crossed  the  Raton  Mountains  they  were  often 
obliged  to  drag  the  wagons  up  with  ropes  on  one  side, 
and  let  them  down  on  the  other  in  the  same  way. 

At  the  top  of  the  mountains  tve  passed  through  a long 
tunnel  and  then  commenced  the  descent  of  the  western 
slope.  The  tunnel  is  approached  on  either  side  by  a very 
heavy  grade,  and  in  some  places  shows  singular  seams  or 
streaks  of  coal  in  its  inner  walls.  Mr.  Dyer,  Superinten- 
dent of  the  New  Mexico  division  of  the  Santa  Fe  road, 
had  joined  us  at  Trinidad,  and  very  kindly  pointed  out 
to  us  the  objects  of  interest.  We  arrived  at  Las  Vegas 
(which,  in  English,  means  “the  meadows”)  about  noon. 


1 


i 


23 


24 


California  a7id  Alaska. 


It  is  at  this  point  that  passengers  leave  the  train  for  the 
Hot  Springs,  about  seven  miles  distant. 

The  old  Plaza,  a short  distance  away  from  the  railroad 
station  at  Las  Vegas,  is  said  to  look  about  the  same  as 
when  General  Kearny,  after  crossing  the  mountains,  stood 
there  and  made  an  address  to  the  Mexican  people.  There 
is  an  ancient  church  with  a rude  cross  in  front.  A large 
singular  looking  three-story  building  also  attracts  the  atten- 
tion of  the  visitor.  This  is  a hotel  evidently  of  a rather 
primitive  pattern.  A certain  witty  traveller  once  stopped 
here,  and  the  landlord  assured  him  that  he  had  slept  in  the 
same  bed  which,  centuries  ago,  had  been  occupied  by  Mon- 
tezuma. In  a burst  of  confidence  the  landlord  also  added 
that  he  intended  soon  to  put  an  additional  story  on  the 
structure.  “ I told  him,”  said  the  traveller,  “ that  he  ’d 
better  put  a new  story  on  the  kitchen,  and  another  coat  of 
whitewash  on  those  slats  I slept  on.” 

The  weather  in  this  section  was  warm,  almost  summer- 
like.  As  we  receded  from  the  country  we  had  just  been 
visiting,  we  looked  back  and  saw  the  snow-capped  moun- 
tains to  the  north  of  us,  in  the  distance.  As  we  journeyed 
to  the  south  their  towering  icy  peaks  gradually  grew  smaller 
and  smaller,  and  when  we  finally  gained  a complete  entrance 
into  the  Southern  land,  they  seemed  like  mere  specks  on 
the  horizon. 

At  Lamy,  where  we  arrived  about  two  o’clock,  we  left 
the  main  line  and  ran  up  to  Santa  Fe,  reaching  the 
quaint  old  city  in  a little  over  an  hour.  Our  party  there 
divided,  some  taking  carriages  and  others  walking,  and 
started  out  to  see  the  town.  The  most  enthusiastic 


Old  Front  of  the  San  Miguel  Churchy 

Santa  Fe. 


f r 


■fnfj 

f '( ^ 4 *f4/ 

■ • * - 7 

' _ V»  .'^A 


1‘r.  , 7*i  the  t^n  (or  the 


»■  ■■ )' 


if  -r-ihi*  iii«uhii- '"^■'  '-i 

'iwitice  xMray  from  the  railroad' 

»•  <.a;d  lo  look  alKJUt  tbc  same  as  ' 

. . ' , . . '-  ^ n 

'Hirr  crossing  the  mountauw,  stood  . 
to  the  Mexican  people.  There  r. 
4i  » rtitle  crpes  in  front.  A large  - ir 

T * “ ^'' 

also  attracts  the  atten*  r. 

.N  •■-  *«i  a HowH.  evklehtly  of  a rather 

A v^itty  itat'ellt^V*” once  stopped^^ 

jr4Run»d  him  that  he  had  slept  in  thei^.- 
■ Mt,  i *trtA  4.uc}  t****  ajjo.  had  bwn  occupied  by  Mori*  A ^ 

* ■*'  -J>  ..t'  •! 

t ((5CNdl<l<mce  the  landloid  d«o  added  1 

t*  i '»oft  h>  additional  story  on  tbec?|^‘ 

onjhe  kitchen,  a skJ  another  coat  pf 

* Ti 

«Ti“  » depT on. 

ih  was.wamj,  almost  summer 

% #«,  » thtt  country  we  ha<l  just  bechl^^ 

' ’%»ihhc,  sr^  !,•,»«  IwrW  and  ».*»  llic  sno«f*capped  inoun- 
Um*f  Ir?  tfw  a»  d^  distance*  .As  we,  journeyed' , 

mdi#  ?*3Ci<rh  di4irt«WTM»g  hcy  p eaks  gradually  grew  smaller 

«n«l  w«  fipaHy  ^aitiedk  complete  entrance  ^ 

th«»  Si^)h|hem  Uwllf  llnry  Miptmd  like  mere  specks  oh  ' 
dwf  ht*n«>«.  , ^ , 9 


i.JS 


•'  IS 


, i?5ufy  ,.«  «mycd  about  two  o'clock,  we  left  ,’  j 

tko  main  l*ni'  aii^  tvo  up  to  .Santa^  fcaching  the  • 
♦,(n<j3FoliJ  c»o  ma  fittkj  o\«r  ah  hour.  Our  party  there  , tJ 
diVid^,  ,s<>i»e  <sdmg  ciiriagcit.  and  others  ntiiking,  and 
viarted.  c't^  r<re  the  town. 


Santa  Fe. 


25 


traveller  would  not  call  it  a very  inspiring  place.  The 
evidences  of  extreme  poverty,  dirt,  and  squalor  were  met 
with  on  every  side,  and  these  the  bright  sun  and  genial 
climate  seemed  rather  to  enhance  than  to  modify.  Pov- 
erty, when  seen  in  some  portions  of  a tropical  climate,  is 
neither  sad  nor  disheartening,  but  there  was  something 
about  the  appearance  of  the  poor  of  this  town  that  was 
peculiarly  depressing  to  the  visitor.  In  a large  public 
square  we  noticed  a number  of  improvements  being  made 
by  a gang  of  convicts,  who  were  guarded  by  keepers 
stationed  around  the  fences,  seated  on  boxes  or  other 
improvised  seats,  each  one  with  a heavy  Winchester  rifle 
across  his  lap. 

While  in  this  part  of  the  country  we  cannot  fail  to 
recall  the  fact  that  in  1527  a Spaniard,  landing  in  what  is 
now  Florida,  made  an  overland  journey  which  occupied 
him  nine  years,  passing  through  the  country  now  known 
as  New  Mexico,  and  finally  reached  the  City  of  Mexico. 

We  have  already  alluded  to  the  enterprising  soldier 
and  explorer,  Z.  M.  Pike,  who  did  much  to  start  the 
profitable  trade  over  what  for  years  has  been  known  as 
the  Santa  P'e  Trail.  This  old  town,  and  the  settlement 
adjacent  to  it  had,  up  to  that  time,  been  dependent  upon 
Mexico  for  the  various  supplies  they  needed.  P"our  men 
who  started  in  1812,  animated  by  the  spirit  of  commercial 
enterprise,  reached  Santa  Fe  in  safety,  but  they  did  not 
get  back  home  until  nine  years  later,  having  been  im- 
prisoned on  some  pretext  or  other.  In  the  following 
year,  however — 1813, — the  famous  Santa  Fe  Trail  was 

really  opened.  It  is  about  eight  hundred  miles  in  length, 
4 


26 


California  and  Alaska. 


and  remains  very  much  to-day  as  it  was  half  a century 
ago,  when  the  necessities  of  commercial  intercourse  led  to 
its  being  opened. 

The  first  traders  used  mules  or  pack-horses  in  carrying 
their  merchandise,  and  it  was  not  until  1824  that  it  was 
deemed  advisable  to  employ  wagons  in  the  traffic.  After 
this  method  of  transportation  was  introduced,  the  amount 
of  trade  increased  wonderfully.  The  initial  points  were 
towns  on  the  Missouri  River,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles  west  of  St.  Louis.  What  a motley  group  of  char- 
acters must  have  gathered  at  these  centres  in  the  early 
days  of  travel  across  the  plains  ! Of  course  there  were 
traders,  adventurers,  plenty  of  that  class  of  men  who  have 
failed  in  nearly  every  undertaking,  and  who  may  be  called 
“the  misfits”  of  life;  there  were  young  men  who  came 
from  the  East  to  the  new  country,  ready  to  take  their 
chances  in  almost  any  kind  of  speculation  ; and  there  were 
old  men  who  thought,  as  their  lives  were  going  out  toward 
the  setting  sun  of  existence,  their  fortunes  might  as  well 
tend  in  the  same  direction,  and,  singular  to  say,  there  were 
many  invalids  who  believed  that  this  rough  journey  across 
the  plains,  with  its  open-air  life  and  excitement,  might  be 
to  them  a means  of  regaining  the  health  they  had  lost. 

The  quaint  wagons,  or  “ schooners,”  as  they  came  to 
be  called,  were  at  first  drawn  by  horses,  then  mules,  and 
finally  by  mules  and  oxen.  A party  or  caravan  would 
number  about  one  hundred  wagons,  and  would  be  divided 
into  four  equal  sections,  each  in  charge  of  some  responsi- 
ble man.  At  night  the  caravan  would  come  to  a halt, 
form  a hollow  square,  and  each  member,  in  turn,  would  be 


27 


Santa  Fe. 

obliged  to  mount  guard.  If  these  lay  soldiers  could  have 
stood  up  together,  the  sight  of  them  would  surely  have 
furnished  a greater  fund  of  amusement  than  Falstaff’s 
ragged  band  of  warriors,  for  here  were  men  representing 
not  only  all  degrees  of  fortune,  but  all  the  leading  nation- 
alities, some  of  them,  during  their  midnight  vigils,  as 
brave  and  tempestuous  as  the  lion-hearted  Richard,  others 
exhibiting  the  amusing  cowardice  of  Bob  Acres. 

In  addition  to  the  merchandise,  each  wagon  carried  a 
good  supply  of  staples,  flour,  sugar,  coffee,  and  bacon  ; 
for  fresh  meat  they  depended  upon  killing  buffaloes  along 
the  route. 

One  of  the  most  Interesting  things  we  saw  as  we  came 
down  the  Raton  Range  through  a pleasant  valley,  was  the 
large  “ Maxwell  Grant,”  representing  one  and  three-quarter 
million  acres.  While  w'e  were  passing  through  this  section, 
we  saw  thousands  and  thousands  of  cattle  roaming  about, 
and  twice  during  the  day  our  train  ran  into  a number  of 
them  that  had  broken  through  the  wire  fence,  unfortu- 
nately killing  a few  of  the  poor  creatures  each  time.  It 
was  a strange  sight,  also,  to  see  beautiful  antelope  occa- 
sionally dart  up  close  to  the  track,  and  then  scamper 
away  at  the  sound  of  the  locomotive  whistle. 

Our  journey  over  the  Atchison,  Topeka,  and  Santa 
Fe  road  we  found  very  interesting  on  account  of  the 
beautiful  scenery  along  the  route.  The  mechanical  and 
working  condition  of  the  road,  also,  was  far  better  than  we 
had  expected  to  find  It.  Its  motive  power  is  certainly  equal 
to  that  of  any  road  in  the  Eastern  States,  and,  as  far  as 
could  be  seen,  it  is  kept  in  perfect  repair. 


28 


California  and  Alaska. 


A word  or  two  about  our  domestic  life  upon  the  train, 
to  which,  by  this  time,  we  had  become  thoroughly  accus- 
tomed. It  certainly  seemed  strange  to  us,  while  travelling 
through  a wild  and  desolate  country,  to  listen  to  the  notes 
of  the  piano  in  the  buffet-car  which  we  found  the  pleasant- 
est of  lounging  places,  as  we  spent  nearly  every  evening 
after  dinner  there  singing  and  playing,  the  ladies  generally 
retiring  about  ten,  the  rest  of  the  party  about  eleven, 
after  talking  over  what  we  had  seen  during  the  day. 

It  was  a long  journey  for  children  to  undertake,  but 
they  remained  perfectly  well,  and  it  was  surprising  to  see 
how  quickly  the  little  ones  became  used  to  the  motion  of 
the  train.  For  two  or  three  days  after  we  started,  it  was 
a matter  of  considerable  difficulty  for  them  to  maintain 
their  equilibrium  in  their  journeys  about  the  car  ; this 
was  particularly  the  case  with  the  baby.  They  had 
many  a fall,  which,  however,  in  the  excitement  of  the 
journey,  they  took  with  much  good-nature,  and  it  was  not 
long  before  they  could  navigate  about  their  swift-moving 
nursery  with  as  much  confidence  as  the  oldest  railroad 
conductor  on  the  road. 

It  was  a matter  of  great  good-fortune  to  us  that  we 
brought  the  dining-room  car,  for  there  was  scarcely  a meal 
at  which  there  were  not  present  one  or  two  guests.  On 
various  divisions  of  the  roads  we  travelled  over,  we  enter- 
tained the  officials  who  showed  us  so  much  courtesy,  and 
it  would  have  been  utterly  impossible  to  have  cooked  for 
such  a large  party  in  the  kitchen  of  either  the  “ Ellsmere  ” 
or  the  “ Mariquita.”  We  found,  too,  that  our  stores  held 
out  well,  which  was  a matter  to  be  thankful  for,  as  it  would 


I 


Santa  Fc.  29 

have  been  very  difficult,  in  fact  impossible,  to  get  some  of 
them  in  the  sparsely  settled  country  through  which  we 
passed.  We  received  telegrams  from  home  every  day, 
and  were  thus  kept  en  rapport  with  the  domestic  scenes 
we  had  left,  and  we  were  careful  to  send  dispatches  quite 
as  often  to  the  members  of  our  respective  families. 


I 

1 


CHAPTER  VI. 

SANTA  MONICA. 

OWING  to  some  misunderstanding,  we  were  de- 
layed in  getting  a crew  on  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  Railroad,  and  lost  considerable  time  on 
this  account.  This  was  the  only  road  we  had  been  over 
which  did  not  provide  a division  superintendent  to  call 
attention  to  the  scenery  and  point  out  the  objects  of 
interest.  The  country  was  flat,  and  deserted-looking,  and 
the  train  meandered  through  it  over  a poor  road-bed  at  a 
slow  rate  of  speed.  As  we  came  over  the  Arizona  divide 
down  to  the  Colorado  River,  the  scenery  was  very  fine. 
When  we  crossed  Canon  Diablo,  the  gruesome  remem- 
brance came  to  us  that  but  two  weeks  before  that  time 
a train  was  “ held  up  ” by  robbers. 

While  singing  hymns  on  Sunday  evening,  at  a station 
where  the  train  stopped  to  take  water,  an  old  resident  of 
the  neighborhood  came  to  our  bulTet-car,  the  door  of  which 
had  been  left  open  on  account  of  the  heat.  He  received 
a pleasant  greeting,  and  apologized  for  his  intrusion  by 
saying  that  he  wanted  to  hear  us  sing  the  hymns  and  play 
the  piano,  as  the  music  was  something  he  never  heard  out 


30 


Santa  Monica. 


31 


there  ; it  was  thirty  years  since  he  had  been  in  any  part  of 
the  country  where  religious  tunes  were  sung. 

The  scenery  near  a point  called  Flag  Staff  was  very 
peculiar  and  different  from  any  thing  we  had  seen  on  this 
road  thus  far.  An  hour  or  so  before  reaching  this  point, 
we  entered  a large  grove  of  yellow  pine-trees  through 
which  we  rode  until  we  reached  the  station  mentioned. 
We  passed  through  the  Mojave  Desert  early  on  the  morn- 
ing of  Monday,  April  15th  ; as  there  was  a very  heavy  dew 
the  night  before,  we  fortunately  did  not  suffer  from  the  dust 
to  any  extent.  This  desert  must  truly  be  a terrible  place 
to  pass  through  on  a hot  summer’s  day.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  stubbly  cactus,  not  a particle  of  vegetation  of 
any  kind  can  be  seen  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach. 

On  our  arrival  at  Barstow,  the  officials  of  the  California 
Central  Railroad  gave  our  train  a fine  run  over  the  San 
Bernardino  Mountains.  In  the  high  altitudes  which  we 
traversed  we  passed  through  snow  near  the  summits  of  the 
hilltops  ; then,  coming  down  the  mountain  (the  grade  being 
one  hundred  and  ninety  feet  per  mile)  we  gradually  entered 
a beautiful  green  and  fertile  valley.  The  town  of  San  Ber- 
nardino, which  was  an  old  Mormon  settlement,  is  located 
here,  and  just  before  entering  it,  we  passed  through  an 
orange  grove  covered  with  a wealth  of  beautiful  flowers. 
The  grass  in  the  fields  was  growing  luxuriantly,  and  the 
contrast  between  the  cold  and  desolation  of  the  mountain 
heights  we  had  just  left  and  the  beautiful  valley  we  were 
entering  was  truly  remarkable. 

The  whole  valley  is  walled  in  by  bold  and  precipitous 
mountains  formed  of  soft,  white  stone,  giving  them  the 


California  and  Alaska. 


appearance  of  white  sand.  Fruit  of  all  kinds  grows  in 
abundance,  particularly  the  orange  and  the  lemon. 

From  San  Bernardino  we  took  the  California  Southern 
road  to  Los  Angeles,  passing  through  Pasadena,  cele- 
brated for  its  orange  and  fruit  groves  ; the  temptation  to 
stop  here  was  very  great,  but  had  to  be  resisted.  At  Los 
Angeles  the  agent  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany met  our  party,  presenting  a very  kind  letter  from  Mr. 
Towne,  the  General  Manager,  who  urged  us  to  make  our 
own  plans  for  travelling  over  his  road,  stating  that  every 
convenience  would  be  at  our  command,  and  adding  that 
we  should  not  hesitate  to  call  upon  him  for  any  service  we 
wanted.  An  engine  and  crew  were  placed  at  our  disposal 
immediately  with  orders  to  remain  with  us  as  long  as  we 
required  their  services. 

We  left  at  once  for  Santa  Monica,  a charming  watering- 
place  on  the  coast  but  a few  miles  distant.  It  was  here  that 
we  obtained  our  first  view  of  the  Pacific  Ocean,  the  sight 
of  which  served  to  remind  us  more  strongly  than  could  a 
glance  at  our  itinerary  of  the  vast  amount  of  territory  we 
had  covered ; for  it  was  only  nine  days  before  this  that  we 
had  left  the  Grand  Central  Depot  in  New  York,  and  felt 
the  warm  hand-pressure  of  our  friends  who  had  bade 
us  good-bye.  Considering  the  number  of  nights  we  did 
not  travel,  and  the  number  of  days  spent  in  visiting 
different  points  of  interest,  the  trip  had  been  truly  remark- 
able. We  had  cause  to  be  thankful,  also,  that  there  had 
been  no  accidents  of  any  importance,  and  that  all  our  party 
were  in  the  enjoyment  of  perfect  health.  Every  part  of 
our  train,  up  to  this  time,  stood  the  trip  remarkably  well. 


South  Pasadena,  Sierra  Madre  Motiu- 
iaiiis,  and  Raynnond  Hotel. 


nf 


\ 


'' 


^ v\*.  / i>rti'^  Aldsk4^ 

groW|j|J 
'?  nh4^  the  fcir&on.  ':*^i:‘;ii’'<^ 


S Rulr(^d  Cc&fy 


'»?■*  letter  from  MrJ 

^ iwtrai  M>»*5|^v  iwged  Us  to  make  our^ 

5^  r trwd^ipir  rrtjui,  stilting  that  ever^ 

?!  e*  i|^v^>minaBd,  and.  adding 

“ - -i — *-^'not  hiiTu  for  any  service.^v^ 


'■"  placed- at  ourdisjws  ^ 

with  us  as  long  a&yte'l 

;i.-  V.- V £/,i-.:;-4-  ^-r  . > r. 

ming  watfcring-L 


was  here  thaj^j 


*.i§# -tiv  fscilis,  Ocean,  the. 'sii 


tW'i. 

36^^‘e  dtrooj^ly 

* * ie:*t 

%.’•  V-, 


* w- 


^v  : 

‘ * r 
¥^.  "'I**' 

■^"  h> 


t?ran  coald  a*t< 
tCTTIlOI^We* 
,aK*i«;  tUy» ‘before  this  that  vve  '|j^ 
^<-  ‘»^l  i*|  t)ep^  ?i»  New  York,  and  felt;^- 

; •#%♦♦  u ^'vf  who  had  bade, ^ 

e iS^t  r l^^^eUitRlKir  of  nightS  We  dl'd 

■'*  iVnIVsI  w4f»  r ;^viza  Knj»nl*  ii 


"■4  spent  in  visiting 

i}  U;»  trip  had  been  trxily  remark*  I 

ifepkful,  alsd,  dm  them 

r vf  a.B:«l#nce,  arid  that  all  our  party ‘' 

* njoywcrrt  ’bi  vvrfet  health,  Evciy  part  of 

if-?  ^ .s  <q,i|h]v  rt-m aHmbly  welf 


i- 


♦t 

tt4' 

• ; 

% 


% 


- ■ - ■ i . j ,- 


Santa  Monica. 


33 


with  the  exception  of  the  brake  shoes,  the  wear  upon  which 
was  so  severe  coming  over  the  Raton  Range,  that  they  had 
to  be  renewed  later  on. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  sea-coast  the  children  expressed 
their  joy  by  scampering  on  the  beach,  and  one  of  our 
party  visited  the  swimming-baths  in  the  vicinity.  The  air 
was  delightful,  and  blossoming  roses  and  Bowers  could  be 
seen  in  the  beautiful  crarden  in  front  of  the  hotel. 

O 

.Santa  Monica,  though  a small  town,  is  beautifully 
located,  and  has  been  called  the  Long  Branch  of  the 
Pacific  coast.  Its  population  is  very  largely  increased 
during  the  summer  months.  The  hotel,  a magnificent 
building,  standing  against  a mountain  side,  is  owned  by 
the  railroad  company.-  The  upper  stories  open  upon  the 
bluff,  and  the  lower  floors  upon  the  beach.  During  our 
stop  here  our  train  stood  on  a platform  overhanging  the 
Pacific  Ocean  at  the  edgre  of  the  bluff.  We  remained  here 
until  after  dark.  The  night  was  clear,  and  the  moon  shone 
brightly  over  the  waves  as  they  chased  each  other  toward 
the  beach.  The  landscape  was  beautiful,  and  recalled  those 
lines  of  “ The  Culprit  Fay”  : 


’T  is  the  middle  watch  of  a summer  night. 

The  earth  is  dark,  but  the  heavens  are  bright. 

Naught  is  seen  in  the  vault  on  high 

But  the  moon,  and  the  stars,  and  the  cloudless  sky, 

-\nd  the  flood  that  rolls  its  milky  hue, 

A river  of  light  on  the  welkin  blue. 

What  might  have  been  a serious  accident  aroused  our 
party  quite  early  the  following  morning  ; a servant  notified 
us  that  the  dining-car  was  on  fire,  and  the  crew  could 

5 


34 


California  and  Alaska. 


not  put  it  out.  The  fire  extinguishers  had  been  used,  but 
not  with  entire  success.  It  was  not  until  a portion  of  the 
roof,  which  was  discovered  to  be  very  hot,  had  been  cut 
through  that  the  flames  burst  through  the  aperture.  The 
fire  raged  with  considerable  violence,  but  was  quickly 
extinguished  when  once  the  source  of  the  trouble  had 
been  found.  The  accident  was  caused  by  the  use  of  soft 
coal  in  the  kitchen  rang^e. 

We  left  Santa  Monica  at  eight  o’clock  in  the  morn- 
ing and  arrived  at  Los  Ancjeles  after  about  an  hour’s  ride. 

o o 


i 


The  Palms  of  Glenaiinie. 


9 M' 

iPS5>- 


CHAPTER  VII. 

LOS  ANGELES. 

ON  reaching  Los  Angeles,  a number  of  mechanics, 
who  were  in  waiting,  promptly  repaired  the 
damage  to  our  car,  and  the  party  went  to  a 
hotel  for  lunch. 

Los  Angeles  is  the  oldest  and  largest  city  in  Southern 
California.  It  is  situated  in  a narrow  valley,  on  a river 
named  after  the  town,  and  is  about  twenty-two  miles  from 
the  sea.  Along  the  banks  of  this  river,  for  miles,  are 
vineyards  and  orange  groves,  which  are  the  pride  of 
the  place.  The  town  has  grown  wonderfully  during  the 
past  few  years,  on  account  of  its  reputation  as  a health 
resort.  Here  and  there  may  be  seen  one-story  houses, 
built  In  the  Spanish  style,  their  flat  roofs  covered  with 
asphaltum,  which  abounds  in  the  neighborhood.  There  is 
a rich  tin  mine  at  Temescal,  about  sixty  miles  distant,  and 
the  San  Gabriel  placer  gold  mines  lie  about  twenty  miles 
to  the  northeast. 

The  business  portion  of  Los  Angeles  is  quite  hand- 
some, and  it  is  only  in  the  American  portion  of  the  town 
that  the  streets  are  laid  out  with  that  painful  regularity 


35 


California  and  Alaska. 


36 

common  to  most  American  cities.  The  original  Spanish 
quarter,  not  now,  however,  occupied  by  many  members  of 
that  nationality,  is  separated  from  the  American-built  part 
of  the  town  by  what  is  called  the  “ plaza”  adjoining  a good- 
sized  hotel.  There  are  large  mercantile  houses,  bank 
buildings,  and  pretentious-looking  hotels  that  line  the 
broad  main  street,  the  regularity  of  which  is  occasionally 
broken  by  the  appearance  of  a small  adobe  house. 

rhe  orange-trees  at  Los  Angeles  bear  at  from  seven  to 
ten  years  of  age  ; from  the  age  of  twelve  until  they  cease 
bearing  they  are  said  to  average  twenty  dollars  per  tree  per 
annum.  At  this  rate,  sixty  trees  to  the  acre,  allowing  one 
thousand  oranges  as  the  average  yield  per  tree,  would  give 
a gross  result  of  twelve  hundred  dollars.  Trees,  in  well- 
kept  orchards,  occasionally  average  fifteen  hundred  oranges 
each.  It  is  said  that  an  American  settler  has  a grove 
in  this  place  containing  two  thousand  trees,  which,  when 
sixteen  years  old,  averaged  fifteen  hundred  oranges 
per  tree,  and  has  continued  to  yield  about  the  same  each 
year  since.  Another  man  had  a grove  of  sixteen  hundred 
and  fifty  trees,  some  of  which  bore  as  many  as  four 
thousand  oranges,  the  average  being  fifteen  hundred  to 
the  tree. 

Among  other  fruits  that  are  raised  in  this  section  are 
apples,  walnuts,  pears,  peaches,  pomegranates,  figs,  necta- 
rines, and  olives.  The  income  from  English  walnuts  is 
estimated  at  from  six  hundred  to  one  thousand  dollars  per 
acre  ; from  olives,  at  from  two  hundred  to  five  hundred 
dollars  ; the  vineyards  will  produce  from  ten  to  fifteen 
thousand  pounds  per  acre.  The  olive  is  propagated  by 


f ^ T 


i 


% 


► 


^v';;  ^ 


j6  California  and  '{,^1 

■'  ' ~ ^ ' T - 

CQiuu*4t»  to.  ifiotA  Amtrican  ciiML\.  W’gMl  Spanish 
rpinrter?  not  no^in*,  h1Wcwr^c)ccuJjjfefJ  ’aln)  members  of . 
that  natiQitality,  is  scpar  itcd  frow  tb^  A.»^ican-built  part 
of  the  tWnby  what  is  Cjalied  die  adjoining  a good- 

sized  hotel  There  are  large  ^4Ti<^antJfe  houses,  .-  bank  . 
lujildings,  and  preteni*ou;eKK)ki^|^^|^^^  that  line  the 
broad  main  street,  die  rcgijlur'ily  -which  is  occasionally" 
broken  by  the  ap^arance  of  a if.ifuU  adobe  house. . g 
The  orange-trees  at  l-os  .\ngcks  Ijear  at  from  seven  tci 
ten years  of  age ; from  the  age  ci  twelve  until  thc)‘  ceaSQ  i 
bearing  they  are  said  Ja-enty  dollars  per  tree  per',, 

annum.  At  this  rate,  sixty  trt«ii  to  the  acre,  allowing  one  ^ 
thousand  oranges  as  the  avcaige  yield  per  tree,  would  give  ^ 
a gross  result  of  twelve  htj^Hrlred  dolliurs.  Trees, 'in  weli-’*^* 

® * rri.'ja  ■ 

keptorchards;pccasic^Ilv^r  hundred  orange^;, 

each..  It  is  said  that  ut\  A dean  settler  has„a  groye 
in  this  place  cpntaining  two  limusand  ti^s,  which,  when”  i 
sixteen  years-  old,  a vcrag«4V^ fifteen  hundred  oranges  *j 
per  tree,  and  has  continued  to  yield  about  the  same  each  ' 
year  since.  Another  map  had  a grove  of  sixteen  hundred  I 
and  fifty  trees,  some  of  whidi  bore  as  many  as  four,^ 
thousand  oranges,  the  .nverago  I'-eing  fifteen  hundred  tQ< 

^ i f 

j;,Among  other  fruits  that  art  fakcif  in  this  section  are 
apples,  Avalnuts,  pears,  peaches,  pn^^tegranates,  figs,  necta- 
rines; and  olivc;^^The  inootw^pl»^  English  walnuts  is 
esdmaled  at  trom  §ix  hundr^^^i^c  thousand  dollars  per 
acre  t’front^  oUvcfir  at  frOn^tw'-«^^u:idred  - tp  fiv6  hundred 


dollars.;  the  vineyards  will  p:^uc^  from  ten -to  fifteen 
thousand  pound*;  per  acrei_;^'rtU  <^v?  is  propagati^  by  • 


^1 


I ' ‘k 

. ’ 'Si  a 


Si 


L.  ^ 


37 


Los  Angeles. 

cuttings  from  ten  to  fifteen  inches  long,  the  slips  being 
put  into  the  ground  perpendicularly  about  six  or  eight 
inches  apart.  The  trees  bear  in  four  or  five  years,  but 
they  do  not  produce  a full  crop  until  they  are  ten  or  twelve 
years  old  ; they  continue  to  yield,  however,  until  they  are 
ver}-  old.  Trees  that  are  threescore  and  ten  years  old  will 
bear  one  hundred  gallons  of  olives  ; the  average  yield 
is  about  twenty-five  gallons  per  tree.  If  the  olive  is  to  be 
pickled,  it  is  gathered  before  it  is  ripe  ; we  get  the  phrase 
“ olive-fjreen  ” from  the  looks  of  the  fruit  at  this  time,  for 
when  ripe  it  has  a maroon  color,  and  looks  very  much  like 
a damson  plum.  When  the  unripe  fruit  is  gathered  it  is 
placed  in  tight  barrels  or  casks,  through  which  water  is 
allowed  to  percolate  ; then  it  is  put  in  strong  brine,  and 
is  ready  for  use  in  a few  days.  The  methods  for  manu- 
facturing the  oil  are  being  improved  upon  every  few  years, 
and,  even  in  their  crude  state,  were  an  advance  on  the 
old  Jewish  plan,  which  seems  to  have  been  to  tread  out 
the  oil  with  the  feet.  Seventy  trees  to  the  acre  should 
yield  about  one  thousand  four  hundred  gallons  of  berries, 
and  twenty  gallons  of  berries  yield  about  three  gallons  of 
oil,  which  is  worth  from  four  to  five  dollars  per  gallon, 
wholesale. 

California  olives  are  said  to  be  better  than  the  foreign 
fruit,  because  they  have  more  sunshine  and  a richer  soil. 
An  olive  orchard  will  yield  about  nine  hundred  dollars 
gross  per  acre.  There  is  one  old  olive-tree  near  Santa 
Barbara  that  is  thirty  years  old,  and  that  has  yielded  forty- 
eight  dollars’  worth  of  oil  for  several  years  in  succession. 
A grove  of  old  olive-trees,  which  was  planted  by  Spanish 


3^  Califor7iia  and  Alaska. 

missionaries,  seventy  years  ago,  is  still  a source  of  income 
to  its  owner. 

It  is  said  that  the  largest  grape-vine  in  the  world  grows 
about  three  miles  from  Santa  Barbara,  and  a pleasant 
story  is  told  about  how  it  came  to  be  planted.  At  the  end 
of  the  last  century  a young  Spanish  lady  started  from 
Sonora  on  horseback  to  visit  the  country  in  question. 
Just  before  leaving,  her  lover  broke  from  a neighboring 
grape-vine  a branch,  telling  her  to  use  it  for  a riding-whip. 
When  the  young  woman  arrived  at  the  end  of  her  journey, 
being  of  a more  sensible  turn  of  mind  than  most  young 
people  passing  through  the  sentimental  stage  of  life,  and 
wishing  to  preserve  the  gift  of  her  lover,  she  planted 
the  slip  in  the  ground.  The  vine,  according  to  the 
story,  appears  to  have  been  quite  as  thrifty  as  the  far- 
famed  bean-stalk  we  heard  about  in  our  childhood, 
for  it  attained  immense  proportions,  and  astonished  the 
natives.  The  trunk  is  four  feet  four  inches  in  circumfer- 
ence. After  reaching  the  height  of  eight  feet  from  the 
ground  it  sends  out  its  branches,  which  are  trained  on 
horizontal  trellises  supported  by  posts ; so  that  the  vine 
which  started  from  a riding-whip  is  made  to  cover  an 
area  of  five  thousand  square  feet.  Its  annual  yield  for 
many  years  has  been  from  ten  to  twelve  thousand  pounds 
of  grapes.  By  a singular  coincidence,  a fig-tree  grows 
near  by,  over  which  a portion  of  the  vine  extends,  so  that 
literally  the  owner  of  this  vineyard  could  sit  down  under 
her  own  vine  and  fig-tree.  The  lady  died  when  she  was 
one  hundred  and  thirteen  years  old.  Much  of  the  past 
beauty  of  this  vine  was  destroyed  when  a portion  of  it  was 
sent  to  the  Centennial  Exhibition  a few  years  ago. 


Street  View  in  Los  Angeles, 


■iit 


«■* 


? ” -'t  . 'It 

* '<^  o ’^■^■Cffp!  ■ •>.'•  +'  B ^ ‘ ■■  !•  '"■■■'.  JT" 


.’i  *)  . 


w.;. , . lY*,  „.- ws'rM ■ . >p.<  .*^^4  i;\R0|Sc’;.i 


P.//V. 


:>.i5  \t  pjca^n^  j 


w4  io» . ^Oft  w 

' 4 ,rrj5tL»i>-  f ^rjuUgf 

'«.»  Ioife>^  b^  a^ntMghboriog'^^ 

•_  ejid'cif  i^f  jourpij^f. 


1 


1^'  4^  & ^roumik  j.^^Thfet  vmiji.^-  ^ccordm^  to  ^U^" 

uv  >v  ii?>  -Wt  IS  the 

chiliiodi^,; 

^ fpr  and  BstohAd'th^e,^ 

ifefh^. - Th»  itMjjiy  i«, jf^ir'ISrt;  i^p^'ti^he^.  tn  / iirurntf^^ 

*CT  I.  - . - 1 * ''i^  ?‘.-r  « 


ai  fe  AfKf  rea<^vn^tlM  be§H-'i>f  ffwit 


’ ^ aijndw-W  Ur:iiicJ^s^ 

'ojifitoAtjd  trt:^fj^^jR)j>|k>rt^^  so  tiat-  tUo  ’i 

w‘i»^  Htj»r!«<i  itoisx  a ridin'K-'^iup /ti,  covet 

}tx<A  Si  m.»\  riioawmtl  aqci^e  I b'  annual,  yicli!  for^ 

. v-\  - ’.I'  ■■'  ■ ’ f.  i. 1 -r '"1 

i.  'f<5<  -|||ppt^  a Vm^l^/<w  -^%»trce  grW$  *^j| 

M^IjV,  bvcji^Vidi  a fK^jC^od  ol 

tHo  oa'iicr  of  tbia  vajteyard  <^ul^  ?jc  down  und^.,^ 

P I / v_  f 1 _u®  u>  '’  t 


39 


Los  ^irigeles. 

It  would  have  been  pleasant,  if  we  could  have  spared 
the  time,  to  have  remained  longer  in  this  section,  one  of 
the  most  interesting  parts  of  the  State.  Southern  Cali- 
fornia includes  seven  counties  : San  Diego,  San  Bernar- 
dino, Los  Angeles,  Ventura,  Santa  Barbara,  San  Luis 
Obispo,  and  Kern.  These  counties  contain  about  fifty 
thousand  square  miles,  more  than  thirty  million  acres  of 
land,  and  represent  nearly  one  third  of  the  territory  of  the 
whole  State.  San  Diego,  the  farthest  county  to  the  south, 
is  large  enough  to  be  a principality.  Gold  was  found  in 
the  Isabella  Mountains,  forty-two  miles  northeast  of  the 
town  of  San  Diego,  in  1870,  but  the  ore  did  not  turn  out 
to  be  very  rich.  Twelve  miles  from  the  town,  which  is 
five  hundred  miles  from  San  Francisco,  and  twenty-five 
from  Los  Angeles,  a stone  monument,  erected  by  the 
government,  indicates  where  the  territory  of  the  United 
States  ends  and  that  of  Mexico  begins. 

San  Bernardino  County,  the  largest  in  the  State, 
consists  in  a great  measure  of  dry  and  desert-like  valleys, 
and  inaccessible  mountains.  As  already  stated,  there  was 
a Mormon  settlement  here  in  1847,  but  it  was  abandoned 
by  those  people  in  1856,  when  they  went  to  Salt  Lake  City. 

What  .Southern  California  can  do  for  the  industrious 
immigrant  is  illustrated  in  the  settlement  called  Anaheim, 
located  twenty  miles  south  of  Los  Angeles.  This  place 
was  founded  by  an  association  of  Germans  in  1857  ; the 
land,  consisting  of  eleven  hundred  acres,  being  divided 
into  fifty  lots  of  twenty  acres  each,  having  a space  in  the 
centre  for  local  improvements.  The  party,  at  the  outset, 
consisted  of  fifty  members,  all  Germans,  of  different  occu- 
pations and  persuasions.  The  land  was  a barren  plain. 


40 


California  and  Alaska. 


and  cost  two  dollars  per  acre.  The  lots  were  fenced 
by  planting  willows,  sycamores,  and  poplars,  and  one 
half  of  each  lot  was  set  out  in  grape-vines.  For  three 
years  Indians  and  Mexicans  were  hired  to  do  the  work, 
the  stockholders  pursuing  their  regular  vocations  at  home. 
An  irrigating  canal  seven  miles  long  was  excavated,  to- 
gether with  subsidiary  ditches,  thus  securing  the  thorough 
irriration  of  the  whole  tract.  In  i860  the  assessments 

O 

were  all  paid  in,  the  lots  were  assigned  in  a drawing,  and 
the  owners  took  possession  and  went  to  work.  Ten  years 
later  a million  grape-vines  were  growing,  most  of  them 
bearing  fruit,  and  there  were  ten  thousand  fruit-trees 
on  the  place.  The  population  numbered  four  hundred, 
and  the  village  contained  a public  school,  a post-office, 
and  a church. 


CHAPTER  Vlll. 

MONTEREY. 

WE'  left  Los  Angeles  at  three  o’clock  on  the 
afternoon  of  April  i6th,  making  a pleasant 
run  to  Mojave,  where  we  passed  the  regular 
passenger  train  on  its  way  to  San  E'rancisco.  It  was 
a beautiful,  clear  moonlight  night,  and  the  scenery,  com- 
ing down  the  mountain,  was  so  magnificent,  that  we 
regretted  we  had  not  started  three  hours  earlier.  The 
weather  was  so  warm  that  we  could  keep  the  car  doors 
open,  and  sit  in  the  observation-room  in  the  rear  of 
the  train,  all  lights  having  been  put  out.  The  odor 
and  freshness  of  the  vegetation,  as  we  passed  through 
the  valleys,  was  something  exquisite,  and  long  to  be 
remembered.  With  the  beauty  of  the  night,  the  mag- 
nificent scenery,  and  the  fragrant  exhalations  from  the 
surrounding  country,  the  hour  was  very  late  before  we 
retired. 

When  we  awoke  in  the  morning,  about  half-past  six 
o’clock,  it  was  in  the  middle  of  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  luxuriant  valleys  we  had  ever  seen.  We  had  read 
much  about  the  beauties  of  California,  but  the  richness. 


6 


41 


42 


California  and  Alaska. 


the  luxuriance,  the  boundless  wealth  of  the  vegetation 
which  we  saw  in  this  section  was  something  far  beyond 
even  our  greatest  expectations.  To  be  sure,  we  saw  the 
country  at  its  best,  for  we  arrived  there  in  the  height  of 
the  spring  season  ; it  would  scarcely  be  possible,  how- 
ever, to  imagine  any  natural  scene  of  this  kind  which 
could  be  more  beautiful. 

Leaving  the  main  line  at  Lathrop  we  went  to  Niles, 
from  there  to  San  Jose.  The  famous  Almaden  Mines  are 
located  about  fourteen  miles  from  San  Jose.  The  view 
from  the  mountain  at  this  place  is  full  of  wildness  and 
beauty.  There  are  elevated  peaks  to  be  seen  in  every 
direction,  and  the  green  hillsides  are  marked  by  the  tracks 
made  by  sheep  and  goats,  which  love  to  feed  upon  the 
sweet  grass  and  wild  oats.  The  mountain  road  is  bor- 
dered by  flowers  of  a crimson  and  glowing  hue,  the 
Mexican  sage,  the  wild  gooseberry  and  currant,  the 
scrub-oak,  and  poison-oak — a little  shrub  dangerous  to 
touch, — and  a profusion  of  unknown  foliage,  rich  in  color- 
ing and  luxuriant  of  growth.  The  miners  and  their 
families  live  in  cabins  and  huts,  of  various  sizes  and 
degrees  of  comfort,  built  upon  the  broken  surface  of 
the  mountain  in  a very  irregular  and  picturesque  manner. 

The  ore  from  which  quicksilver  is  procured  is  called 
cinnabar,  and  was  worked  by  the  Indians  for  the  ver- 
milion powder  it  contained,  with  which  they  used  to  paint 
their  persons.  A Mexican  officer,  in  1846,  bribed  the 
Indians  to  show  him  the  location  of  the  mines.  A 
Mexican  company  was  formed,  named  after  the  most 
valuable  mines  of  mercury  in  the  world — the  Almaden 


Hotel  del  Monte,  Monterey. 


k 


•t 


Califot  nia  and  Alaska. 


f - )*r 
U <xil! 


9v-y\ 


■ p'.' 


ihc  la^curiaru  r.  ils'  I wealih  of  the  vegetation 

J /'Cl  ion  was  soraetiung  far  beyond  ' 
, , ciations.  To  be  sure,  we  saw  the 

'<  wc  arrived  there  in  the  height  of 
. would  scarcely  be  possible,  how- 
natural  scene  of  this,  kind  which 

.■i'fiil.  . - 

•uo  line  at  Lathrop  we.  went  to  Niles, 
l<*se.  I'he  famous  Almaden  Mines  are 
. ;i.uriecn  miles  from  San  josc%  The  view 
•nnialn  at  this  place  is  full  of  wildness  and 
! norc  ar»:  elevated  peaks  to  be  seen  in  every 
uni  the  grere  hillsides  are  marked  by  the  tracks 
■iheep  and  goats,  which  love  to  feed  upon  the 
= -otiss  and  wild  oats.  The  mountain  road  is  ,bor- 
-i  bv  1'  ■ and  -Inwing  hue,  the 

VI  ;t^i!^j^^\'i^^^ourrant,  the 

».  v l»  o;iV.,  oivj  potson-oak  — -a  little  shrub  dangerous  to 
fis.  b and  profu.,if>r,  ot  unknown  foliage,  rich  in  color- 
‘-^'d  'ir. 'liant  of  growth.  The  miners  and  their 
iivr  ir.  cabins  and  huts,  of  various  sizes  and 
M •'' ' <j1  comfort,  built  upon  the  broken  surface  of 
the  mountain  in  a very  irregular  and  picturcstjue  manner. 

. Th<^  • I •'  from  which  fjuicksilver  is  procured  is  called 
ani:.  ind  wa.s  worked  by  the  Indians  for  the  ver- 
mll;  (iiw.l'T  it  contained,  with  which  they  used  to  paint 
tiieic  p A Mexican  othcer,  in  1846,  bril>ed  the 

Indiatuft  • • iu  ' him  the  location  of  the  miuca.  A 
Mex  icaii  . oty  was  formed,  named  after  the  most 
ini5»e  mercury  in  the  world — the  Almaden 

' 1 % t 

r 


trtiluablr 


A ^ 


Hotel  del  Monte,  Monterey. 


Monterey. 


43 


Mines,  in  the  province  of  La  Mancha,  Spain.  The 
shaft  to  the  mine  runs  hundreds  of  feet  straight  down 
into  the  earth,  and  the  ore  is  brought  up  in  iron-bound 
buckets.  The  men  descend  to  their  work,  and  come  back 
again  to  the  tunnel  leading  to  the  mouth  of  the  engine- 
room,  by  means  of  the  bucket.  The  tunnel  is  very  dark, 
and  its  walls  drip  with  damp.  Among  the  miners  are 
many  Mexicans,  who  have  considerable  skill  and  expe- 
rience in  this  kind  of  work  ; and  there  are  also  Eng- 
lish. Welsh,  Scotch,  and  Irish  among  the  workers. 

After  a delay  of  half  an  hour  at  San  Jose,  we  started 
for  Monterey,  at  which  point  we  arrived  about  ten  o’clock. 
The  place  charmed  us  at  once,  being  one  of  the  finest 
we  had  ever  seen.  We  had  all  been  talking  of  the  beauties 
of  Southern  California,  of  the  fruits  of  Los  Angeles,  of 
the  beach  at  Santa  Monica,  of  the  richness  of  the  country 
around  San  Bernardino  and  Pasadena,  but  the  charms  of 
Monterey  exceeded  any  thing  we  had  thus  far  seen.  The 
walks  and  drives  through  the  Park  were  delightful,  and  the 
place,  as  a health  resort,  undoubtedly  has  no  equal  in  the 
country.  We  were  very  pleasantly  located  on  the  second 
story  of  the  Hotel  Del  Monte,  facing  the  south,  our  rooms 
all  being  sunny,  and  our  comfort  provided  for  in  the  most 
thoughtful  manner  by  the  hotel  proprietor.  We  met  here 
several  invalids,  who  spoke  most  enthusiastically  of  the 
health-restoring  properties  of  the  place.  They  told  us 
how  they  had  stopped  at  Thomasville,  the  Hot  Springs, 
at  Las  Vegas,  Pasadena,  and  other  places,  of  how  they 
had  suffered  there  in  one  way  or  another,  and  added 
that  after  they  arrived  in  Monterey,  and  had  been  there  a 


44 


California  and  Alaska. 

few  days,  they  felt  as  if  they  were  on  the  sure  road  to 
health.  Every  thing-  at  this  place  tends  to  make  one  feel 
cheerful  and  hopeful.  We  noticed  that  the  number  of 
healthy  people  far  exceeded  the  contingent  of  invalids, 
which  is  a very  important  factor  in  the  cure  of  disease,  and 
there  were  none  of  those  depressing  surroundings  which 
are  so  often  met  with  at  the  regular  health  resorts. 

The  bathing  pavilion  connected  with  the  hotel  is  cer- 
tainly a wonder  in  its  way.  It  is  quite  large,  being  about 
four  hundred  feet  square,  has  a glass  roof,  and  is  filled 
with  palms.  In  the  centre  are  four  large  tanks.  In  the 
first  one,  used  for  women  and  children,  the  water  is  from 
three  to  four  feet  deep,  and  its  temperature  about  eighty- 
five  degrees.  The  next  tank  is  about  five  feet  deep,  with 
a temperature  of  seventy-five  degrees  ; the  third  about 
seven  feet  deep,  with  a temperature  of  seventy.  The 
fourth  tank  is  about  eight  feet  deep,  and  contains  the 
natural  sea-water,  which  is  pumped  into  it  without  being 
heated.  The  accommodations  in  the  way  of  dressing- 
rooms,  in  both  the  male  and  female  departments,  are  per- 
fect in  their  way.  It  is  certainly  one  of  the  most  complete 
bathing  establishments  in  the  country. 

Those  who  have  read  Dana’s  “ Two  Years  before  the 
Mast  ” will  remember  that  he  speaks  of  visiting  Monterey, 
at  a time  when  its  life  must  have  been  very  picturesque. 
He  speaks  of  the  pride  people  took  in  tracing  back  their 
ancestry  to  the  Spaniards,  saying  that  the  least  drop  of 
Spanish  blood  was  held  to  be  sufficient  to  raise  them  from 
the  rank  of  slaves,  and  entitle  them  to  a suit  of  clothes, 
boots,  hat,  cloak,  spurs,  long  knife,  and  all  complete,  how- 


Arizo7ia  Garden  at  Del  Monte. 


1.1 


■‘•-w  « I 


CaUfornia  and  ■ > 


<ew  (Uj'n.  ibr/  u if  they  were  on  the  sure  road  to 
health,  > tlii^  A?  thU  place  tend$  to  nwifae  onef^rj 

noticed  tha^  th^  nurnl>er  oj 
>iei,'!‘  , cac4»ded  tlw;  comingtiht 

• U a v*3*\’  Jmportaat  tW.tor  in  thccui^6f,discakKan<* 
tii.  • «►.  ^^  tmne  th<mt  depressing  surrouhthnga  whichj 
•t  (Joirif  met  with  it  the  regular  health  r<^rtk  - ^ 

’ ' . 'vttWa*g*pA«’‘l‘Mn  annoc|e4^with  hotel  i3.‘  cer-f 
iu  way.  is  quite  largi;,  hemg  aboi 
l*FM^  foei  .«inatc,  lta»  a glass  roof)  and  is  fiUe<j^ 

^ in  rhe  o.'mne; are  four  lai^e  tanks.  In  the^' 
IdWtiN  ^ iKeU  f«>r  women  and  children,  the  water  is  from' 
#*10  ivur  feet  an<j  its  temperature  about  eigh|y;;jii 
, f > * * r;  <kjg7«>c<^  The:  n«.e| 'lank  is  about  five  f^t  deep, .with ,, 
a iewperature  of  ^r  ventyjllye  degrees  third  ^boiit^ 
k*3Vfen  ' v .*  ^a-’,U:jupcia  scventy.iL  The' 

feurti. 

nsituial  sea-water, 'wluck-  i»  jumped  ituo  U without  beii 
heated.  The  acco«jn«Klaitions  in  the  way  of  (lirssmg^ 
ftKims,  in  bdtli  the  m-ileand  female  dcpaJl»iepts, 
lect  in  their  way.  ft  Is  certainly  one  of  the  most  co^mpt^ 
lialhiog  esuiblishmenia  in  the  country.  . * 

Th«^  who  have  read  Dana's  **  T wo- Years  beforelhe^ 
Mast  ” will  n'.raembcr  that  he  speaks  of  visiting  M.on^^y,j 
at  a time  when  its  life  , must  have  been  very  plcmre»qii«a^J 
Mt  speaks  of  the  jiride  people  took  in.> tracing  bapk  their  J 
ancestry  to  the  Spaniard*,  saying  that  tin:  le;»t  drop  of  j 
Spanish  bloodi\vas  held  to  besufficii^jtio  rAtsc  th^ 'from 
the  rank  of  &Uivefi,  and  entitle  then®  to  a *iuil  of  clothes, 

■*  . * . .i 

booUmhat,  .cloak,  spurs,  long  krufe<  irnd  all  (^ropieie,  how-;' 


Vi  ' • » ' . / 


The  Lake  at  Monterey. 


\ 

\ 

\ 


T 


WtXh 


M onterey. 


45 


ever  coarse  and  dirty  they  might  be.  The  native  women 
were  excessively  fond  of  dress,  and  nothing  was  more 
common  than  to  see  a woman  living  in  a house  of  only 
two  rooms,  and  the  ground  for  a floor,  dressed  in  spangled 
satin  shoes,  silk  gown,  high  comb,  and  gilt,  if  not  gold,  ear- 
rings and  necklace.  He  was  struck  with  the  fineness  of 
the  voices  and  beauty  of  the  intonations  of  both  sexes. 
Common-looking  ruffians,  with  slouched  hat,  blanket  cloak, 
dirty  under-dress,  and  soiled  leather  leggings,  appeared  to 
speak  pure  and  elegant  Spanish.  A common  bullock  driver, 
on  horseback  delivering  a message,  seemed  to  speak  like  an 
ambassador  at  an  audience  ; in  fact,  they  seemed  to  be  a 
people  on  whom  a curse  had  fallen,  which  had  stripped 
them  of  ever)^  thing  but  their  pride,  their  manners,  and 
their  voices. 

The  town  was  under  Mexican  rule  at  this  time,  its 
chief  officer  being  a governor-general,  appointed  by  the 
central  government  at  Mexico  ; then  there  was  a com- 
mandant, and  two  or  three  alcaldes  and  corregidores,  who 
were  civil  officers,  elected  by  the  inhabitants.  Dana  tells 
us  that  the  houses  at  that  time  were  of  one  story,  built  of 
clay  made  into  large  bricks,  about  a foot  and  a half  square, 
three  or  four  inches  thick,  and  hardened  in  the  sun.  These 
were  cemented  together  by  mortar  of  the*  same  material, 
the  whole  being  of  a common  dirt  color.  The  floors  were 
generally  of  earth,  the  windows  grated  and  without  glass, 
and  the  doors  opened  directly  into  the  common  room. 
The  men  in  Monterey  always  appeared  to  be  on  horse- 
back, and,  there  being  no  stables,  the  animals  were  al- 
lowed to  run  wild  wherever  they  pleased,  being  branded, 


46 


California  and  . I la  ska. 

and  having  long  lariats  attached  to  their  necks,  dragging 
along  behind  them,  and  by  which  they  could  be  easily 
taken.  The  men  used  to  catch  one  in  the  morning,  throw 
a saddle  and  bridle  upon  him,  and  use  him  for  the  day 
and  let  him  go  at  night,  catching  another  the  next  day. 

We  remained  nearly  two  weeks  at  Monterey,  thor- 
oughly enjoying  our  visit.  While  we  were  here,  a number 
of  mechanics  came  from  San  Francisco,  by  order  of  Mr. 
Towne,  and  overhauled  our  train,  changing  some  springs 
in  the  “ Ellsmere,”  “ Mariquita,”  and  buffet-car,  and  putting 
on  a new  coupler  in  place  of  the  one  between  the  “ Mari- 
quita” and  dining-car,  which  we  were  obliged  to  repair  at 
Detroit.  The  train  was  also  thoroughly  cleaned,  both 
inside  and  out,  and  carefully  aired. 

Every  day  we  all  went  in  swimming,  while  the  after- 
noons were  occupied  with  drives  along  the  picturesque 
beach,  or  up  the  valley.  On  Easter  Sunday  we  attended 
church  at  a little  town  called  New  Monterey,  about  six 
miles  distant.  As  the  children  all  showed  a marked  im- 
provement in  health,  particularly  the  little  girl,  for  whom 
our  trip  was  delayed,  our  stay  at  Monterey  was  principally 
on  their  account. 

Our  evenings  (which  were  generally  spent  sitting  around 
a large  open  fire  in  the  office  of  the  hotel,  which  resembles 
very  much  the  Profile  House  in  the  White  Mountains, 
though  of  course  the  building  at  Monterey  was  a great 
deal  larger  and  the  ceilings  very  much  higher)  were 
varied  by  exhibitions  on  the  graphophone,  which  we 
brought  from  New  York,  many  of  the  people  at  the  hotel 
never  having  seen  one.  It  was  the  opinion  of  our  party 


The  Picnic  Party  at  Monterey. 


« ^ 


Ip 


ii-' 


f'^F: 


4^ 


•arW-^ 

.3. 


7 


y 


ni&^\tind  Alaska.  ^ 


.ft 


»rut  hafifij^  V>nc  linats  ittach^  t6  tlidj  dr 

jdorttf  iK*MM  tTictn.^nd  % wHk^  ihiry’  io^li  be 

^ ■ ■ * '-ik"'  ‘ ,m . 

tjtkcfi.  7 ht  >•  ;^  4»i(o4 

M «a^Ulc  fiosi  f>tK<^»^^pon  hral^  and;Tise  him  for  ’ 


jr  ♦mi  Ltt  lihr.  at  Ql^ht,  cutchln^  another 

1 

fr-  - 

it 


nest'd# 

W«  ne  arly  two' weeks  at  Monterey, ^'th 

-'  -?^v,  ■ '»4'  '^'  * Si, 

(j)  ouj^bl>’  > kit.  While, were  hef^  a ri 

methAfticf  from  Sair  Kranciist^tby£^fi<^  df  ^' 
Tewrwt  *j5d  ovftfhAoled  our  tram,  ehangmg  son^.-spriii 
? in  the  *»  Etlsmere/  **  Mal^qu^^|■  and  bliilet^  and  puul 
'Virt  a new  cofupicf  Irt  place  of  the  onev  between.^  the  \h 
ttuifai**  and  which  we. were,  obliged  to  re 

The  traw -was  also  thoroughly  clcane^- hp' 
ia^idc!  ftitfl  mrt^'  ^j<l  carefully  aired. . ^ ^ ^ 

^v  - fe  v daV  W ail  \?ent  In  swiihtningj while  th^  aft 

tiiv^icturesq 


\l 


^ I - • bench,  Qo  Edwter  .?>dr>dayw«  lueftcl 

^ church  Ri  hstfo  to.wn  calkd  l^cw  Mohtetrjy,  abou^ij 

11^  ^ miles  dis-tSrit  As  the  children  all  showed- a mark^i 

l|b  jrt-ovement  in  health.  pniticuIaHy  the  tilde  girt  foe  who 

^ , *^,dur^trip  was  delayed,  dtir  stay  at  ^lontctj^  was  principat 

. Ofl  t^:h  occOtWiV  ^ ' ■- .•;  ' 1 • ■“•>‘!i 

7 * r pur  evenings  (which  were  geher^ly  Spent  sUtinlf  a I otH 

#-  - a['  laJtge  opsft*  fire  in  the  office  the'hotel;  which  rcscj 

fSt^  very  much  the  l^ofile  ..blouse  in  the  White  ''Ot  in  tail 

^ 9 ihoQgii  of  course  the  huddiB^J  at'.i&^nt€rey  w gra 

^ derd  lar^  and  the  cmlir^s  very  rmich  htgh^)  vu 
V varied  by  -xhllutioilW:  on  the  graphopUuUc. 

^ ^ -throqght  from*  New  York,  many  of  the  people  at  ih^o  hoi 
I.  . never  haxdng  seen  ohA  : It  was  the  opinion  of  ouf^pai 

k‘,  • . . -■'  ' ' ■ 


Old  Live  Oak  at  Monterey. 


Monterey. 


47 


that  this  hotel  was,  without  exception,  one  of  the  cleanest 
and  most  neatly  kept  hotels  to  be  found  in  the  United 
States.  On  one  afternoon  we  all  went  down  to  our  train, 
after  lunch,  and  gave  a little  reception  to  the  friends  we 
had  made  in  the  hotel,  closing  with  an  informal  afternoon 
tea.  Our  cook  had  prepared  a very  palatable  cold  colla- 
tion, and  our  crew  took  as  much  pride  and  pleasure  in 
this  social  occurrence  as  we  did  ourselves. 

On  Saturday,  April  20th,  one  of  those  exquisite  days 
that  can  only  be  found  in  this  climate,  we  enjoyed  a 
pic-nic  given  by  two  gentlemen  of  our  party,  in  the  pine 
grove  on  the  ocean  drive.  Early  on  that  morning,  with 
the  two  stewards  of  our  train,  and  servants  from  the  hotel, 
they  drove  out  to  the  grove  and  prepared  the  lunch.  About 
twelve  o’clock  we  took  two  laro^e  four-in-hands  and  drove 
out  to  meet  them.  We  arrived  about  one  o’clock  and 
enjoyed  a most  delightful  repast,  after  which  one  of  the 
party  took  three  or  four  photographic  views  of  the  scene, 
from  one  of  which  the  accompanying  sketch  is  taken. 

The  neat  appearance  of  the  Hotel  Del  Monte,  of 
which  we  have  spoken,  was  largely  due,  according  to  the 
statement  of  its  manager,  to  the  use  of  Chinese  servants, 
about  sixteen  of  whom,  divided  into  gangs  of  four,  were 
constantly  engaged  in  the  work  of  cleaning.  The  head- 
gardener  of  the  hotel  grounds  gav^e  some  very  interest- 
ing information  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  they 
were  laid  out,  Chinese  laborers  being  employed  to  do  the 
work. 

The  Chinese,  as  laborers,  are  very  important  factors 
in  the  industrial  civilization  of  the  far  West.  Nearly 


48 


California  and  Alaska. 

every  town  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Utah  has 
Its  Chinese  quarter.  They  swarm  along  the  line  of 
the  Pacific  Railroad,  and  are  found  in  the  old  mining 
gulches  of  the  mountains.  In  every  village  of  California, 
Oregon,  Idaho,  Nevada,  and  up  in  British  Columbia  they 
are  met  with,  engaged  in  some  kind  of  service,  as 
cooks,  table-waiters,  nurses,  gardeners,  laundrymen,  rail- 
road builders,  miners,  agriculturists,  servants,  and  as 
assistants  in  manufacturing  establishments.  They  began 
to  come  to  the  Pacific  States  in  1852,  and  though  their 
capacity  for  learning  is  very  limited,  being  confined  prin- 
cipally to  the  power  of  Imitation,  they  learn  quickly,  and 
they  are  quiet,  clean,  and  faithful,  and  do  not  go  on 
“ sprees,”  as  some  of  their  white  neighbors  do.  On 
account  of  their  genius  for  Imitation  they  make  good 
cooks,  and  they  are  very  successful  in  cultivating  a small 
vegetable  garden.  The  Pacific  Railroad  Avould  have  been 
delayed  some  years,  and  cost  much  more  money,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  Chinese  labor. 

One  of  our  most  enjoyable  afternoon  drives  was  with 
a four-in-hand,  and  covered  a distance  of  seventeen  miles, 
part  of  the  trip  being  through  a delicious  pine  woods. 
This  drive  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  around  Monterey. 
While  near  the  shore  we  passed  rocks  whose  tops  just 
appeared  above  the  water,  and  were  covered  with  seals. 
Accompanying  illustrations  show  the  drive  through  the 
pines  and  a rock  covered  with  seals.  These  seals,  or  Cali- 
fornian sea-lions  as  they  are  sometimes  called,  have  always 
been  objects  of  interest  to  the  traveller  in  these  parts. 
They  crawl  up  from  the  water  awkwardly  and  blunder- 


The  Drive  throicgh  the  Pines,  Monterey. 


Californhi  ALnka, 

vtirv  tovMi  we^t  of  tln!  KtJ'  ky  ^■^untuins  And  Ut^h  bas 
its  (juaricr.  They  is'l^nn  along  the  line  of 


;hr.‘  tJ.  and  an  ftVnd  in  ^ the  old  mining 


*ii  'll'  I-  .tasr*?  I village' of  Califonda, 


(irrt'uM  1 1,  and  up  lu  J^rltish  Columbia  they 


arc  mU 
r.OOlkV  U'- 


ffnjgpv'd  in  some  kind  of  service, 
m*.  ses,  gardeners,  laundrymen,  mih 
a.id  bi)o  ^ agrici'Ji^rists,  servants,  and- 

asM**iai'ti»  \t>  swmdactunng  estaulishmenis.  They  be^^ 
to  c «rne,to  ihe  Pacific  States  in,  1852,  and  though  ih 
uii^acif-'/  fo.  i-  ^o-ning  is  very  limited,  being  confined  prln 
cifC'Hv  to  tirtj  pov  '*r  of  imitation,  they  learn  quickly,  and 
ilic.  j,f‘-  uuiet  clean,  and  faithful,  and  do  not  go  oh' 
' ••  'some  ef  their  white  neighbors  do. 


accci-.ni  oi  rhtir  genius  for  imitation  they  make  go<^ 

ve.tic  ea-  den,  I he  Pacific  Railroad  would  have  been 
d'd  ' i ronac  years,  and  cost  jRuch  more  money,  if  it 
not  for  Chinese  labor.  ■ 

M ^ <uir  most  enjoyable  afternoon  drives  was  wiig 
a U'  ‘ ’ilttnd,  and  covered  a distance  of  seventeen  mllc^ 
pan  v^i  iVh;  trip  being  through  a delicious  pine  woodg 
This  drive  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated  around  Monter<:|?| 
While  n*siir  the  shore  we  passed  rocks  whose  tops  jusq 
appeared  the  water,  and  were  covered  with  se^ 

Acconij  ,,'nying  illustrations  show  the  drive  through  t 
pines  and  a rock  covered  with  seals,  d'hese  seals,  or  Ca 
ft.'rnian  seadi*  f»s  as  they  are  sometimes  called,  have  alwa] 
been  objects  of  interest  to  the  traveller  in  these  pan 
they  crawl  niJ  from  the  water  awk-v\'ardly  and  blunder- 


Rocks,  near  Monterey. 


Monterey.  49 

ingly,  like  babies  just  beginning  to  creep,  and  spread 
themselves  out  over  the  rocks,  lying  there  as  if  in  a 
comatose  state.  Now  and  then  they  raise  their  heads  and 
utter  a loud  piercing  bark,  apparently  without  any  pur- 
pose whatever.  When  a party  of  two  or  three  are  on  a 
rock,  and  they  are  disturbed  by  a new-comer,  there  is  a 
languid  sort  of  combat,  and  a great  deal  of  barking  and 
grumbling,  when  all  of  a sudden,  seeming  to  tire  of  these 
useless  proceedings,  they  suddenly  plunge  into  the  sea. 
When  from  the  water  you  approach  a point  occupied  by  a 
numerous  herd,  you  hear  their  long,  plaintive  bowlings, 
as  if  in  distress  ; but  when  near  them  the  sounds  become 
more  varied  and  deafening.  The  old  males  roar  so  loudly 
as  to  drown  the  noise  of  the  heaviest  surf  among  the  rocks 
and  caverns,  and  the  younger  of  both  sexes  croak  hoarsely, 
or  send  forth  sounds  like  the  bleating  of  sheep  or  the 
barking  of  dogs.  What  is  called  a “ rookery  ” of  matured 
animals  presents  a ferocious  and  defiant  appearance  ; but 
usually  at  the  approach  of  man  they  become  alarmed,  and 
if  not  opposed  in  their  escape  roll,  tumble,  and  sometimes 
make  fearful  leaps  from  high  precipitous  rocks  to  hasten 
their  flight.  It  is  a singular  fact  that  young  seals,  from 
their  birth  until  they  are  six  weeks  old,  are  utterly  unable 
to  swim.  They  learn  this,  to  them,  very  necessary  accom- 
plishment, by  going  to  the  margin  of  the  surf  and  floun- 
dering around  in  the  pools,  after  which  they  make  slow 
and  clumsy  progress  in  learning  the  knack  of  swimming. 
By  repeated  and  persistent  efforts  the  young  seal  gradually 
becomes  familiar  with  the  water,  and  acquainted  with  his 

own  power  over  that  element,  which  is  to  be  his  real  home 
4 


50 


California  and  Alaska. 


and  his  whole  support.  Once  having  learned  the  art,  the 
young  one  fairly  revels  in  his  new  happiness. 

* Naturalists  affirm  that,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
the  seal  is  a very  clumsy  animal,  and  with  a very  small 
head,  compared  to  the  size  of  his  body,  his  intelligence  is 
greater  than  that  of  many  land  animals.  Those  who  saw 
the  seals  in  Barnum’s  exhibition  two  years  ago  will  cer- 
tainly be  prepared  to  confirm  this  statement.  The  seals 
on  the  rocks  near  the  Cliff  House,  San  Francisco,  become 
almost  friendly  with  some  of  the  residents  of  the  hotel, 
certainly  as  tame  as  ordinary  domestic  animals.  But  long 
before  Barnum’s  seals  were  exhibited,  there  was  a trained 
seal  shown  in  London,  who  could  bow  to  his  visitors,  and 
showed  considerable  intelligence  in  performing  tricks. 


'iA.'  ^ 


Seal  Rock  Covered  zuith  Seals, 
Monterey. 


near 


4* '■  "J'.i 


-r^r* 

■i'  K 


^ ■■ '-‘'"I' '■•^' 

-M  'J  VVi  1.V‘- 

• //>T'  yi  %Tj4  ' Id  I ^ I 


k 


(>'tw 


■■‘^'  €i.nd  ]^lask^i} 


jjpr 

braving' a 

y-.|ilJMillib«^4h?ff  '4^v-b'.  iti  Kla  j^ew  happinM®.'*  ^ 

affirm*  tha^^  notTwithstan^ilig'  the  foct  that  ^ 

4,.  ij^  it^‘  H i^erj'  diunjjy  animalt  and  -wnth  a very  ^^47udl'^ 

g^kWtr  ihSsi  \l^  oC'^inany  land,  animals. . Tbdfecvwho  saw  . , * 
Ihe  i^hi  lit. ^KarnumV  exhibition  ago  will  cer«  ^^^ 

confintt  this:  statement  ^ The  seals  ^|| 
^ ^ i»e  *hn  lifckn  Clif  Ho^^e.,;Sal^  .Fi^picisco,  beepraej^^ 


I '<jr  . ■ 'fj.  V '^-H 

, tficfidty ’e^d>  soine  of  the^.-residents  of  the  hof'idi^J  ^ 

■‘''  '■  »«atish*ie’'W  oiiihr^^  But  long' -^l:’'  ,,,  < 


tish«tu»  oiiihrut|y  dtwneulc  aoimais.  But  long'  ^1; 

■ esd»tUtc4' there  waa.i^  trained,  '/-vr’ 

tdsipfUiVt  tjsvttdoi^  HiJt  vislfoS,  andj^^ 

■*  -:|v  . ',  * ' ,,  ^ 


.III 


t 


Kp, 


I'fv  < 'fu*,  -I;-  r-  . c.  ■ 

j * -^  ' 9^  r.*  ’■t.'ilim  \. 


*♦ 


t' 


Ifiil 


% • 


'tt 


* 


ji 

s‘";j 


‘ I ■ 


' 

» 


r 


t. 


(^71  the  Coast,  near  A4 ontere'S 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  MISSIONS. 

NO  record  of  a journey  in  the  far  western  section  of 
the  United  States  would  be  complete  without 
some  account  of  the  famous  Spanish  missions. 

In  the  State  of  California  alone  there  are  about  fifty  towns 
whose  names  bear  the  prefix  of  the  Spanish  word  San, 
equivalent  to  saint.  That  there  Is  a religious  or,  at  all 
events,  an  ecclesiastical  significance  attached  to  these 
settlements,  will  be  apparent  at  once.  The  story'  of  these 
missions  is  exceedingly  interesting,  and  yet  remains  to  be 
written  with  the  fulness  and  accuracy  the  subject  deserves. 

A few  years  before  his  death,  our  poet  Longfellow,  in  ^ 
acknowledging  the  receipt  of  a monograph  on  this  subject 
of  the  missions,  wrote  to  the  giver,  a resident  of  Cali- 
fornia : “ A strange  feeling  of  romance  hovers  about 

those  old  Spanish  missions  of  California,  difficult  to  de- 
fine, and  difficult  to  escape.  They  add  much  to  the  poetic 
atmosphere  of  the  Pacific  coast.” 

The  first  permanent  mission  in  California  was  founded 
at  Loretto,  In  1697.  From  that  point,  Christianity  gradu- 
ally extended  to  the  north,  stations  were  established  at 


51 


52 


California  and  Alaska. 


different  points,  and  efforts  made  to  christianize  the 
Indians.  The  missionaries  were  frequently  attacked  by 
the  red  men,  and  the  progress  that  was  made  was  accom- 
panied by  considerable  loss  of  life.  Later  on,  the  Jesuits 
came  to  this  section,  but  met  with  a very  poor  reception, 
until,  at  last,  every  Jesuit  in  the  State  was  carried  off  a 
prisoner.  These  Jesuits  were  replaced  by  Franciscan 
monks,  who  always  travelled  in  parties  of  twelve.  A 
party  of  them  reached  Loretto,  which  was  then  the  centre 
of  the  mission  work,  in  1 768.  By  order  of  the  Mexican 
Government,  three  missions  were  founded  in  Upper  Cali- 
fornia— one  at  San  Carlos  de  Monterey  in  the  north, 
another  at  San  Diego  in  the  south,  and  a third  at  San 
Bonaventura  in  the  middle  district.  The  expedition 
started  out  in  three  divisions,  one  by  land,  and  two  by 
sea.  The  mission  of  San  Diego  was  founded  on  the  i6th 
of  July,  1769,  on  the  banks  of  the  stream  of  that  name. 
The  native  Indians  were  apparently  friendly,  and  every 
thing  seemed  to  promise  success.  No  sooner,  however, 
had  the  missionaries  erected  two  houses  and  a chapel,  and 
were  congratulating  themselves  on  the  prospective  success 
of  their  undertaking,  than  the  Indians  commenced  depre- 
dations. The  door  of  the  priest’s  dwelling  was  only  a 
mat,  and  before  they  could  resist  their  assailants,  four  or 
five  of  the  inmates  were  wounded.  Not  long  after  this, 
however,  amicable  relations  were  established  with  the 
natives.  This  was  the  first  of  the  series  of  missions  which 
were  established  alona-  the  coast.  The  new  settlement 

o 

was  placed  under  the  tutelary  guardianship  of  the  patron 
saint  of  the  Franciscans,  San  Diego,  the  Spanish  for  St. 


ETCHING 


Mission  of  San 


Ltiis  Rey,  Cal. 


By  C.  V.  TURNER. 


I ' 1-  ^ 


*p<4:  * %■ 


•W-  .-,"i>?a 


'n 


3.  ' 


i^: 


I 


9'A  >'■ 


fSli's’ ifidfaoi,  -V,  frcqufeflijl^^ 

V #iu;  atid  the  urogre^fthat  wsjs 

'*  T ' '■'  • ► ' * " *^  ■*^  T ' ,1 A T-  *'U'  n ' ^ .1  A»  • ' ■*',  Jl 

tiiif  '^t  met  with , a very^'oor  reetp^ort;'^^' Jg 

^ V ' , ,'.  ^ y,  utuilit  »t  Wt,^ie^*^'^ry  J csuit  in  the^State  was'  caitiett-;  orfii',  • 

vfft^rp  !*f»nla/'#»H  • Hv  PrahrTtirtail'.’' D 


•t: 


■ *ii-, 

\‘J 

4f' 

' ‘i. 

‘ ■& 

jT' 

i<  • 

fU 

i'  <»  -1 

r-' 

V' 

- fl  / /i  thi^,  ire, tvs  founded  irt  lJpp^  C^<^ 

'^v..  ’ f^nia — »»f>^  af  Stm  the  hortf^*^ 


't^f  hifr  »i  San  i>ie|ii'f  «ff ' third  At  Sart^^r.^wr-a 


■'U,  vV 


^trt<^\  uUt  ia  tiu*v  dJr^^id^  <#m  by  bu^  uiuf*Vw©^hy' 


, Tiie  native  iRdtans  were  apparefttij'  aad 

5T''  thing  seemed  to  promise  success,  No  *K>oiKtr,  Ivowey^l^  j 
^ had  the  misjiionaries  erected  two  houses  and  a^'chapeh.  and*  J tJ 
. wcjiT  congratulating  themselves  on  the  prospective,  success-!  V 
/ of  their  undertaich^sret^han  the' Indians  (x>mmonced  dcpj^>^ 
,^xlation*.  The.  door  of  the  priest's  dweUii%  was  only  a 
mat,  and  before  they /^uld  resist  th«r  assailants,  Four  or 
Ki-e  Mf  the  inmates  w'erej^Vounded  Not  long  after  this, 
'however;  amicable  relations'  were'  established  with.  tRe 


^'Z 

lUt 


■r* 

ft' 


nmts*e«v  This  was  the  first  of  the  series  c4  wjisslons  ^hich 

■flk  _ i|f 

were  cstubllshcd"  dong  the  coast.'  nr»  p<ettleRient 

placed  under  tl^i  twtel^  gUiidSrnidS  of  the  patron 
saint  of  the  FranciscaBW,  Siam  Dfego,  tlx  Spanish  for  St. 

'iHb ' • 

'4^;.,^  '- ..  Jill 


i*<- 1.  t 


d r-?/*' ■'■d3 


V. 


v:*' 


-y 


^ ■ - 


The  Missions. 


53 


James,  and  his  name  was  given  to  the  mission  and  the  bay 
near  which  it  was  situated.  In  the  year  i8ic  San  Diego 
was  the  largest  mission  in  the  State,  though  this  was  not 
by  any  means  a gauge  of  worldly  prosperity. 

The  mission  San  Luis  Rey  was  one  of  the  largest 
establishments  of  this  kind.  It  was  founded  in  the  wilder- 
ness on  the  banks  of  the  San  Luis,  right  in  the  heart 
of  the  Indian  country.  It  was  started  in  a thatched 
cottage,  and  became  one  of  the  greatest  of  the  Californian 
missions.  Its  church  of  stone  is  ninety  feet  deep,  and 
rises  at  one  end  in  a beautiful  tower  and  dome  ; and  from 
its  fagade  there  extends  a colonnade,  not  without  architec- 
tural beauty,  and  nearly  five  hundred  feet  long,  while  in 
depth  it  is  almost  of  equal  dimensions.  Father  Peyri,  its 
founder,  was  not  only  an  architect  but  an  able  mission- 
director.  It  was  not  long  before  he  had  thirty-five  hun- 
dred Indian  converts,  scattered  in  twenty  ranches,  and  the 
whole  place  bore  marks  of  industry,  peace,  and  plenty. 
The  etching  by  Mr.  Turner,  herewith,  gives  a perfect 
representation  of  how  this  famous  mission  appears  at  the 
present  time. 

In  the  early  days  of  these  missions,  some  singular 
customs  came  into  the  Church.  There  were  certain 
practices  of  ceremonial  used  by  the  Indians  that  were 
gradually  introduced  into  the  Church  service,  not  with 
the  approval  of  the  priests,  but  tolerated  by  them. 
Indian  Catholics,  for  instance,  were  in  the  habit  of 
dancing  before  the  shrine  of  a saint ; or  rather,  it  should 
be  said,  the  custom  was  pursued  by  the  very  young  female 
converts.  The  practice  had  prevailed  in  Mexico,  probably 


54 


California  and  Alaska. 


as  a relic  of  paganism,  where  it  was  also  tolerated,  but  not 
approved.  There  is  an  anecdote  told  by  a Spanish  writer 
about  the  attempt  of  an  archbishop  to  prohibit  this 
dancing  as  sacrilegious.  This  raised  such  a tumult  among 
the  people  that  the  Archbishop  appealed  to  the  Pope, 
The  Pope  ordered  that  the  boys  and  girls  should  be 
brought  to  Rome  in  order  that  he  might  see  them  dance. 
After  he  had  witnessed  the  performance,  he  laughingly 
ordered  that  they  should  be  allowed  to  dance  until  the 
clothes  they  had  on  were  worn  out.  The  young  people 
took  the  hint,  and  shrewdly  saw  to  it  that  their  clothes 
were  always  renewed  piecemeal,  so  as  never  to  be  really 
new,  and  thus,  according  to  the  Pope’s  decision,  the 
dancing  was  allowed  to  go  on  without  direct  slight  to  the 
Archbishop’s  scruples. 

Generally  speaking,  what  maybe  called  the  mission  era 
in  California  began  in  1769  and  lasted  until  1823,  Be- 
tween those  years  twenty-one  missions  were  established, 
extending  from  San  Diego  in  the  south,  to  San  Rafael  and 
Sonoma  north  of  San  Francisco,  The  mission  of  San 
Francisco  was  started  in  a rustic  chapel  in  1776,  and  the 
country  around  the  bay  was  explored  by  the  missionaries. 

Most  of  the  missions  were  laid  out  in  the  form  of  a 
hollow  square  ; the  enclosing  wall  of  adobe  bricks  was 
twelve  feet  high  and  three  hundred  feet  in  length,  on  each 
side,  A rectangular  building,  eighty  or  ninety  yards  in 
front,  and  about  as  deep,  composed  the  mission.  In  one 
end  was  the  church  and  parsonage.  The  interior  was  a 
large  and  beautiful  court,  adorned  with  trees  and  foun- 
tains, surrounded  by  galleries,  on  which  opened  the  rooms 


Missio?i  of  Santa  Barbara — Building. 


m-  ■ '•> 


% 


<.ff'^^‘"  - ■*  ■ ^ 

■W.  ^-  ■*"  . - 


' . » 


nia,  and^A/asM.  . 

''■"  ^ - -”r 


iS 


jii  , > 


K i 


t '^  imvt.tt  i^)i»Sis  years  twenijwmr  rstaWis 


it  wa*  tolerated^ 
is  an  ah^iate  told  by  k Spanish 
,pt  of  anvarchbishop  to'  prohibit  ;t 

This  rai^  snoh  a'tpmki^  ixiT^^ff>^ 
thtt  Archbishop  appealed^p  t!w  r(5|l|^ 
that  the  bpys  and  'girls  shoitid 
Knmc^’in  order  that  he  ^might  see  thexn  da 

,ri  ..  ,.  I _ ^ 

,}«*  hnd  witnessed  the  performancephfe  laughin 
that  th^  shwld.  be  allowed  ,to  dance  untii- 
rS#tfJ»car  tliey  had  on  ^ were  worn  oat  The  young  i>e 
Wh  ih<?  hhvt  and  shrewdlir  saw  to  it  that  their  h' 

«»vi*  i r.*.  K0«wed  incav  «d  hever  tP  be  rra 

'*•  'h#S  «t*w|h  . dccisio^  j 

V 4iwW'<rd  to  vA  W^Knrt  direct  sligM  Wt 

i«4  t'4H  'ipcakiftg,  x/AukX  may  be  called  the  niissio^^i 


in  begwn  In  1769  amJ  las^d  until  1883. 


I esi^ijding  frofn  San  Diego  iw  th^^o«ttbi,ta  San  Rafael  a 
Sonoma  north  of  ^San  Francisco.  The  mission. of  S 
Francisco  was  sraihwf  in  a rustic  cl^pel  in  1776,  and  t 
t coutttry  around  the  bay  was  explored  by  the  nussionarw 
* Most  of  the  missions  were  laid  ouf  *n  the  form  of^ 

."'Ir  . •,  -■ 

' ' b<**how  square;  the  enclosing  wall  of  atlobe  bricks  > 


feet  high  and’ three  hundr^  feft.  In  lengthy  on  eat^h^^^B  j] 


u^lt>  r^-<^angidar  building;  *#:  mn«Ay  yardwn 

It'  .iUd  about  as  deep,  cocnpt>s*e^  tlK  mission.^  In 
end  was  the  church  and  parson’iigiiS  The  interior;  waa  a 
to^ye  and  beautiful  court,  adorned  with’ trees  and  1< 


tain^  stOTOundie^  bysgallcries,  on  which  op>ened  the 


Mission  of  Santa  Barbara— The  Garden. 


The  Missions. 


55 


of  the  missionaries,  stewards,  and  travellers,  the  shops, 
schools,  store-rooms,  and  granary.  In  fact,  the  mission  was 
at  once  a religious  station,  a fortress,  and  a town.  A 
population  was  gathered  around  this  centre,  sometimes  by 
persuasion,  and  sometimes  by  a show  of  force,  and  the 
people  were  taught  to  construct  habitations  outside  the 
walls,  and  instructed  in  the  various  arts  of  peace  and  civil- 
ization. These  small  communities  prospered  for  fifty 
years ; they  were  havens  of  rest  during  the  peaceful  and 
pastoral  days  of  California. 

Connected  with  the  mission  was  a building  called  the 
monastery,  where  Indian  girls  were  taught  by  native  women 
spinning  and  weaving,  and  other  duties  peculiar  to  their 
sex.  The  boys  were  taught  trades,  and  those  who  showed 
excellence,  were  promoted  to  the  rank  of  chiefs,  thus  giving 
a dignity  to  labor  and  an  impulse  to  exertion. 

Each  mission  was  directed  by  two  friars,  one  of  whom 
took  charge  of  the  religious  instruction,  while  the  other 
was  the  superintendent  of  the  outside  labors.  It  is  sur- 
prising, considering  the  small  facilities  at  hand,  how  much 
these  missionaries  accomplished  in  agriculture,  architec- 
ture, and  mechanics.  They  built  mills,  machines,  bridges, 
roads,  canals  for  irrigation,  and  succeeded,  even  in  that 
early  day,  in  transforming  hostile  and  indolent  savages 
into  industrious  carpenters,  masons,  coopers,  saddlers, 
shoemakers,  weavers,  stone-cutters,  brick-makers,  and 
lime-burners.  A United  States  commissioner  (Bartlett) 
has  borne  testimony  to  the  good  work  done  at  that  time. 
“Five  thousand  Indians,”  he  says,  “were,  at  one  time, 
collected  at  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel.  They  are  repre- 


56 


California  and  Alaska. 


sented  to  have  been  sober  and  industrious,  well  clothed 
and  fed  ; and  seem  to  have  experienced  as  high  a state  of 
happiness  as  they  are  adapted  by  Nature  to  receive.  They 
began  to  learn  some  of  the  fundamental  principles  of 
civilized  life.  The  institution  of  marriage  began  to  be 
respected,  and,  blessed  by  the  rites  of  religion,  grew  to  be 
so  much  considered,  that  deviations  from  its  duties  were 
somewhat  infrequent  occurrences.” 

In  1834  the  property  of  the  missions  was  secularized, 
and  they  rapidly  decayed.  In  1846  they  were  taken  by  the 
United  States,  and  in  1847  they  had  a population  of  450. 
At  the  mission  of  San  Gabriel,  at  this  time,  excellent  wine 
was  being  produced,  and  ships  loaded  with  the  products 
of  the  mission  sailed  regularly  for  Lima  and  San  Bias. 
The  missions  collectively  contained  30,650  Indians,  424,- 
000  head  of  cattle,  62,500  horses,  322,000  sheep,  and  raised 
annually  123,000  bushels  of  wheat  and  maize.  This  prop- 
erty, under  the  direction  of  the  government,  was  handed 
over  to  the  authorities,  who  allotted  some  to  each  family. 
The  missionaries  were  allowed  rations  for  their  support. 
The  civil  war,  the  discovery  of  gold,  which  drew  a new 
population  to  the  country,  and  the  disappearance  of  the 
Indians  to  the  mountains  and  forests,  led  to  the  dissolution 
of  the  missions,  as  they  were  originally  established. 

We  resume  the  story  of  our  journey.  On  the  evening 
of  April  2 2cl,  an  agent  of  the  Yosemite  stage  line  came 
from  San  Francisco  to  Monterey,  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing final  arrangements  for  our  trip  to  the  far-famed  valley. 
It  was  planned  that  we  should  have  special  stages  all  the 
way  in  and  out,  with  the  probability  of  making  the  return 


Old  Mission  Church,  near  Monterey 


wofftrA  : 


^b<2r  and  industrious,  woU  cImKw^ 

••^•‘  ',.  V , '.71  - - i’  'S 

- ‘ to  have  trXficrienced  as  high  h stite  tfj 

i «re  adapted  by  Naturejto  receive.-' ThoyT.' 

Moma  of  the  fundamental  principles  of 

•. ; r I’ljc  institution " of  marriage  begm  to  h<n 

blessed  by  the  rites  of  religion, "grew^ to  ^ 

#|||4  «»Mri4ei'ed,  tluUt  deviations ' from  its  duties  went 

rtilrequent  occurrences.’' 

^ tiif  ^34  the  property  of  the  missions  was  seculari^olK 

.‘li#y  rapidly  decayed.  In  1846  they  were  taken  by  tHe 

and  ;*»  they  had  a.  population  of  45^4! 

r ^ excellent  wine, 

■ > wIcKd  with  the  produGttv 

.'S 


a'  a: 


V- . 


Uma  apd  San  Bias. 


4 - ,r  i 30,^50  1ml jans,  4^ 

,'2  ” 

Mb  “ iTj^sto  bushek  of  wheat  «nd  maiie.  This  projpi 
direction  of  the  g^nwrog^nt,  was  handedq 
la  the  authorities,  who  allotted  son»e  to  each  family. 

j . -j.,,  ■ 

n»*  missionaries  were  allowed  rations  for  their  suppor 
■The  civil  war,  the  discovery  of  gold,  which  drew  a new" 
papulation  to  the  country,  and  the  disappearance  of  th^.J 
Indians  to  the  mountains  and  forests,  led  to  the  dissolutibnj 
•»  tbe  missions,  as  they  were  originally  established.  ^ J; 

resume  the  stOry  of  our  journey.  On  the  eveniAg  J 
0"J  aid,  an  agent  of  the  Yosc^c  fctage  line  caiitc^ 
>lBi  ITrancisco  to  Monterey,  iftuj  purpose  of  maJ^ 
fvbs^^ttiiagcments  for  our  tr*p  fxW-famed  vail 
It  w.w,  pi  innW  tluil;  we  should  huvcrSpeci^  slag^  all  the 


way  ill  and  out.  with  the  probability  of  making  the  return^ 


Mission  of  San  Carlos,  near  Monterey. 


r 


The  Missions.  57 


journey  from  the  Yosemite  in  one  day.  This  trip  has 
never  before  been  made  in  a shorter  time.  The  followincj 
morning,  the  23d,  we  took  our  bath  a little  earlier  than 
usual,  and  gathered  our  things  together  preparatory  to 
leaving  on  the  two-o’clock  train. 

We  came  as  far  as  San  Jose  on  the  regular  train.  A 
special  engine  met  us  at  this  place  and  took  the  car  “ Ells- 
mere  ” through  to  Oakland.  The  rest  of  our  train  had 
been  left  at  Monterey,  with  all  the  crew,  except  George  de 
Barr,  our  chief  steward,  Armstrong,  and  our  cook,  Scotty. 

We  arrived  at  Oakland  about  six  o’clock.  This  is  the 
principal  town  on  the  eastern  shore  of  San  Francisco  Bay, 
almost  directly  opposite  the  “Golden  City”  itself.  The 
city  owes  its  name  to  its  magnificent  groves  of  live  oaks  in 
which  it  was  originally  built,  but  it  has  now  grown  far  be- 
yond their  limits.  These  trees  are  not  merely  ornamental, 
but  subserve  a useful  purpose  for  parts  of  the  town,  in 
screening  them  from  the  fierce  winds  which  come  through 
the  gap  of  the  Golden  Gate  in  the  summer  months,  and  to 
the  force  of  which  Oakland  is  especially  exposed.  The 
University  of  California  is  located  here,  and  consists  of 
various  colleges  devoted  to  arts,  letters,  and  professional 
life.  The  drives  around  the  city  are  very  beautiful, 
quite  equal  to  those  of  San  Francisco,  and  good  roads 
penetrate  the  surrounding  country  in  every  direction. 
At  Oakland  Point,  two  miles  from  the  city,  there  is 
an  immense  iron  pier  over  the  bay  to  the  ferry-boat, 
which  conveys  passengers  and  freight  to  the  city  of 
San  Francisco.  This  wonderful  pier,  or  rather  wharf,  is 

on  the  east  side  of  San  Franciso,  and  is  eleven  thousand 
8 


58 


California  and  Alaska. 

feet  long,  running  out  to  a depth  of  twenty-four  feet  at 
low  tide,  and  of  thirty-one  feet  at  high  tide.  Upon  its  last 
thousand  feet  it  has  twelve  railroad  tracks,  a wide  carriage- 
way, a passenger  depot  and  railroad  offices,  ware-houses, 
and  outside  storage  for  forty  thousand  tons  of  grain  or  other 
merchandise,  and  three  large  docks,  one  of  which  affords 
ample  space  for  five  of  the  largest  steamers  or  clippers  afloat. 
The  piles  used,  where  the  water  deepens,  are  sixty-five  feet 
long,  and  are  forty-two  to  fifty-four  inches  in  circumference. 
The  main  wharf  is  eight  hundred  feet  wide  at  the  extreme 
or  western  end,  and  on  it  are  pens  for  five  hundred  cattle, 
two  immense  warehouses,  and  a large  passenger  depot. 

At  Oakland  we  were  met  by  Mr.  Curtis,  Mr.  Towne’s 
assistant  general  manager,  who  took  us  over  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, wdiere  we  all  had  dinner  at  the  Cafe  Riche.  After 
dinner  we  walked  back  to  the  boat,  and  took  the  9.15  train 
for  the  south.  As  our  train  was  leaving  the  depot,  an 
officer  on  the  staff  of  General  Miles,  comimanding  the 
Department  of  the  Pacific,  presented  us  with  the  General’s 
card,  saying  that  he  hoped  w^e  would  notify  him  of  our 
return  to  the  city,  in  order  that  he  might  render  some 
service  to  make  our  stay  in  San  Francisco  agreeable. 

We  reached  Berenda  about  four  o’clock  on  the  morning 
of  April  24th,  then  took  a branch  line  to  Raymond,  arriv- 
ing there  about  three  hours  afterwards.  After  breakfast 
we  took  a four-horse  stage  and  started  for  Wawona,  which 
is  sometimes  called  Clark’s.  We  had  dinner  at  a half-way 
station  called  Grant’s.  The  drive  was  exceedingly  inter- 
esting from  the  manner  in  which  the  driver  managed  his 
horses,  and  also  on  account  of  the  kind  of  horses  used  for 
this  work.  We  changed  horses  seven  times  between  Ray- 


A Farm  Team  near  the  Mission,  M onterey. 


California  and  Alaska, 


loxig,  ruijiniQg  out  to  a depth  of  twcuty-fpur 
U>w  'idc'.  and  of  thirty-one  feet  ai  high  tide.  Upon  its 
,ihou*vimd  leet  it  has  twelve  railroad  tracks,  a wide  carriai 
u ..',,  a passenger  depot  and  railroad  offices,  ware-how 
rt)  i!  i>utstd  - ror.it^e  lor  forty  thousand  tons  of  grain  or^i 
merr  hamiuK',  ami  three  large  docks,  one  of  which  afC" 
amph'  of  the  largest  steamers  or  dippers  ai 

Thr*  Th^•^  ■ ■ d.  where  the  water  deepens,  are  sixty-five 
long.  .u'-;  iorly-two  to  fiftydour  inches  in  circumfereif^^ 
The  miui.  . ■ ..rf  is  eight  !,un  h*  d 'eet  wide  at  the  extnhdj 
>»r  western  end,  ami  on  n at*  ;/•  or  five  hundred  caU/e, 
rsn  c ■.  ’ I ('» 1* ' usf  anti  .1  ' ~ p-*.s.senger  depot 

. , e w<:i'  m.  T i,.y  M:  (Jurtis,  Mr.  Towr  jj 

... ...  • .iurer.  <*/^o  rorfjk  us  over  to  San  Fr^ 


' .f^  Riche.  iwr 

lor  th.-*  /*,.  . depot, 

i>t1tccr  on  i!jc  •nad  tji , . «H\unanding 
riepartment  of  the  v [ ■ :ut‘ o ..‘’hS  with  theGeneri^# 

card,  sapng  that  he  hoped  we  would  notify  him  of 
return  to  tiie  city.  In  order,  that  he  might  render 
.service  to  m.'Jkf  our  stay  in  Smi  Francisco  agreeable. 

We  reached  Berenda  about  four  o’clock  on  the  mom^^ 


April.  '4th,  then  'took  a branch  line  to  Raymond,  a>i^ 
r'.  there  about  three  hours  afterward i.  After  breakfa* 

’ h a four-hors©  stage  and  for  Wawona,  whft 

iff  '44hm''iiines  called  Clark’s.  e haii  dinner  at  a half-wfl 
itatir.n  call*  .:  Grant’s.  The  drive  was  exceedingly  int^r- 
csting  from  the  manner  in  w'hich  the  driver  managed 
horses,  and  also  on  account  of  the  kind  of  horses  use*!  for 
this  work.  We  changed  horses  seven  times  between  Ray- 


The  Missions. 


59 


mond  and  Wawona,  each  change  consisting  of  four  horses. 
It  was  surprising  to  see  what  wiry  beasts  they  were,  and 
what  an  immense  amount  of  work  they  could  accomplish. 
Our  shortest  drive  between  the  changes  was  six  miles. 
On  this  we  had  four  half-wild,  wiry,  Nevada  ponies,  roans, 
and  they  literally  ran  all  the  distance.  Their  speed  was 
so  great  that  we  were  very  much  concerned  lest  they 
should  run  away  entirely ; but  we  were  fortunate  in  having 
an  expert  driver  to  go  over  the  route  with  us.  The  man- 
ner in  which  the  stage  would  whirl  around  corners  and 
dash  down  hills  was  quite  appalling,  and  made  the  remem- 
brance of  past  experiences  in  the  Catskills  and  the  White 
Mountains  seem  tame,  almost  uninteresting.  But  all  this 
rapid  driving  was  done  with  good  judgment.  The  brakes 
were  tightly  applied  to  the  wheels  when  occasion  required, 
the  effect  being  to  bind  the  running-gear  and  the  body  of 
the  vehicle  together,  thus  preventing  any  swaying  motion 
and  any  possibility  of  upsetting.  When  night  came  we 
all  felt  fatigued,  and,  after  a short  walk,  retired  early,  in 
order  to  be  prepared  for  a timely  start  on  the  following 
morning. 


CHAPTER  X. 


THE  YOSEMITE  VALLEY. 


N the  morning  of  the 
25th  of  April  we  rose 
at  five  o’clock,  and,  after 
a hurried  breakfast,  started, 
with  a light  wagon  and  four 
horses,  to  see  the  Big  'f'rees. 
Two  members  of  our  party, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Purdy,  did  not 
accompany  us  on  this  trip, 
as  they  had  visited  the  scene 
about  three  years  ago. 

The  Big  Trees  are  certainly  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  features  of  California 
scenery.  No  other  one  of  the  natural  curiosities  of  the 
Pacific  States  has  become  so  widely  known  as  these  trees. 
They  were  discovered  in  1852,  and  at  once  became  famous 
over  the  world,  more  particularly  on  account  of  the  exag- 
gerated statements  in  regard  to  their  size  artd  age.  There 
are  several  groves  of  them,  such  as  the  Calaveras,  the 
Mariposa,  the  South  Grove,  the  Frezno  Grove,  and  prob- 


M a riposa  Grove— B ig  T rees . 


l-hr:  ■ ^ : • 

^ J > . 

«l.  ^ »-_  ^ 


- . 

• t.  i • ►v 

4.'  ' ■* 


I 


,.A-'“  ■'  ";_  '.'4  : ,. 

CHAPTER  X,  * ’ ' ■ - 


N-Ha  \ .^K  . 
r:;  .-yi-,  ^ ■<?’r*-  .'v* 


■•  » 


s 


THE  rOSEMlTE*  VALLEY. 

■■  - -v*il 

‘ : '0 


■-  / * > tfi 

\LLEY.  - 4i 


■i^  ^ /'i 


N"  the^momiog' 'of 
5 2 5th  cof  April  wa  _ 

vat  Eve  o’clock  a'nd;'aft» 


humed  btes^a^t;^' , sta 
with  a l«rht^ii^®»k’'and 

»K-f 


reci 


-‘C1’ 


Two  members  of  ouf 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Piifdj^  did 


accompany  OS  on  this?  trip,,  .' 
as  they  had  visited  the  sc^e 
about  three  years  ago. 

The  Big  Trees  arc  ^rtaialy  one  of' 

-I  'tJic  mr»^;femarlvable^feature5  of  California 
, Rccncry.  No  othef  -one  of  the  natural  curiosides  of  then^ 
' '*  Pacific  Stafcfe»^a.s  b*j‘c»iroe  so  widely  known  as  theae 

V *’  * ...  ■*  ,,  iC  . - - 

#-t»oru  ' an  T St  f ^ ^IF  mklTStSF* 


^ They  were  clHc^vcred  In  1852,  and  liKvam^-famous 

LI  '2**  \ V"  ^ over  the  world,  morn  paniculariy  o«  of  the  exag- . j 

I - V »>’^gerat«d  st(Xhes»ents  in  i^gird  to  ^hdr«4*e  and  age.  ..| 

j«yeral  grov6a  of  the^'  suen  as  the 

thf**SdvitH  OtovCj.  the  Fremb  Gro^?^  arid  ptx>b»^* 

•%  K f * \ , • 


^i3r/c-  - Vl^  A ■ 


The  Yosemite  Valley. 


6i 


ably  many  others  not  yet  discovered.  Although  the  name 
of  “ I.  M.  Wooster,  1850,”  is  carved  on  one  of  these  trees, 
it  was  not  till  1852  that  a hunter,  by  the  name  of  Dowd, 
having  wounded  a bear,  while  pursuing  his  calling  in 
these  parts,  really  discovered  them.  He  was  following  up 
the  wounded  animal,  when  he  came  to  a group  of  these 
monsters  of  the  forest.  In  his  wonder  at  the  sight  he 
forgot  all  about  pursuing  the  bear,  and  quickly  returned 
to  his  camp,  where  he  told  his  companions  of  what  he  had 
seen.  His  storv  was  received  with  shouts  of  laimhter  and 

^ o 

derision.  Wishing  to  prove  the  truthfulness  of  his  tale,  a 
few  days  afterwards  he  told  his  companions  that  he  had 
shot  a big  grizzly  bear  up  in  the  mountains,  and  requested 
their  help  to  get  the  beast.  The  party  started  off,  Dowd 
leading  the  way  over  the  path  he  had  followed  a few  days 
before,  until,  finally,  he  brought  them  face  to  face  with 
the  Big  Trees;  they  saw  at  once  that,  though  he  had 
deceived  them  about  the  bear,  he  had  not  been  guilty 
of  exaggeration  in  regard  to  the  trees.  So  it  appears 
that,  though  W ooster,  whose  identity  never  seems  to 
have  been  established,  may  have  first  discovered  them, 
Dowd,  the  hunter,  was  the  first  to  make  them  known  to 
the  world. 

These  trees  have  been  seen  by  visitors  from  all  parts 
of  the  world,  and  have  been  viewed  with  feelings  of  awe 
and  wonder.  The  Calaveras  Grove  is  five  miles  long,  and, 
by  some  travellers,  is  considered  the  most  desirable  to 
visit ; but  we  think  the  majority  of  sight-seers  would 
prefer  the  Mariposa  Grove,  as  the  Calaveras  has  lost 
much  of  its  primitive  condition — as  one  man  says,  “ has 


62 


California  and  Alaska, 


been  converted  into  something  like  a tea-garden  ” — while 
the  former  remains  in  its  original  state.  The  Mariposa 
Grove  is  also  regarded  as  being  the  most  attractive, 
because  here  the  trees  are  greater  in  diameter  and  much 
more  numerous.  There  are  four  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven  of  them  in  the  grove,  varying  in  size  from  twenty 
to  thirty-four  feet  in  diameter,  and  from  two  hundred  and 
seventy-five  to  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  in 
height.  Botanically  speaking,  they  are  of  the  Sequoia 
gigantea  species.  There  seems  to  be  a belt  of  them 
running  along  the  slopes  of  the  Sierras,  about  four  or 
five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and  as  far  south 
as  Visalia.  They  are  so  plentiful  near  that  place  that  they 
are  sawed  up  and  used  for  lumber.  In  the  same  neigh- 
borhood, the  Indians  report  a tree  far  in  the  forest,  which 
is  said  to  surpass  in  grandeur  any  tree  of  the  kind  that 
has  ever  been  seen  ; so  far,  no  white  man  has  ever  beheld 
it.  The  leaf  of  the  Sequoia  gigantea  is  very  much  like  that 
of  the  Arbor-vitce,  the  bark  is  soft  and  very  spongy,  and  of 
a light-brown  color ; on  all  the  largest  trees  it  measures 
from  twenty  to  thirty-two  inches  in  thickness.  This  species 
grows  on  mountain  slopes  and  is  watered  by  the  springs 
that  come  down  the  hill-sides,  and  which  are  filled  with 
particles  of  fertilizing  rocks  and  the  decayed  vegetation 
of  centuries.  For  six  months  in  the  year  it  is  warmed 
by  a tropical  sun  and  refreshed  by  the  balmy  air  of  the 
Pacific ; in  winter  its  roots  have  a warm  covering  of  snow, 
and  it  is  said,  of  some  of  these  trees  at  least,  that  the 
ground  never  freezes  beneath  them.  In  fact,  they  have 
got  nothing  to  do  but  to  grow,  and  it  is  interesting  to 


Kl  Capitan,  Yo Semite  V alley. 


■ ^ ‘ 


Ca/t/brnia  and  Ala$k}sL. 


:3d 


iftto  something  like  a tea-garden 
-*■  ► »rfi>iln5  in  its  origi^  «tatcr  The  Marip«^j 
K^fir.  I regarded  as  being  the  mo«t  attract!  v«i 

ireea  are  greater  in  ^iiameter  and  much 
There  ate  four  hundred  and^i  vcftly- 
5n  the  grove,  varying  in.  siae‘  from  two  ^ 

•4  *r<'* ; feet  in  diameter,  and  from  two  hundred 

to,  three  hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  fife 
i^ght.  JJotanicaUyi  speaking,  they// are  of  the 

species.4f<There5^see^  to  be  a belt  of  t 
tanning  along; thcrslopes  of  the  Sieirasi  .about  four  cir  £ 
fL>S»nd  feet  abWe  the  sea  level,  and,  as  far  sout|^ 

«»4»  They  are  SO  plentiful  near  that  place^that 

w>4tup  and  used  for In  the  samd  nei 


.>ij 


b Indians  nepott.at.trec'far  in  the  forest.,  whj< 


-in  grande  an.y  treOxOti  the  kind. 


^■cn  seen  ; sol^..no  wnitevn 


VCT  bclu 


~tn 


i ' 


w 


m 


ti  the  leaf  of  the  i^ve^ 

^ tt«e  .*dMir-4^^Vthe  bark  Is  soft  and  very  spongy^  and  ^ 

» fight-fe-own  color;  on  all,  the-  largest  trees  it;ineai«^|^^  ~ 
• from  tbwty^tnrodnehesln.thicknes^^^.T^^ 

.grows  on  mountain  slopes  and  is„water^.  by. 1 1 ic- spi liirian 
that  come  down  *^131.6  hilhsides,  and  which  are  .6tt*.*d 
I>a1*ticlt^  of  ftytiliaii^  rod^^and  the  decayed  vegc*tati< 

of  Ttntntfts.  ,For  six  months  in  th^j  luu*  ir.S  wAi 

- by  A .rropicld^  son  and  refreshed  bj  balmy  air  «f 
^ Pacific  I in  wintcar  its  roob  have  a war  m wiring  of  snowy 
, and  it  is  said,  of  someLof  th^  trees  ai  lea^ti,  that  tfe-i* 
f**>|jrv)uiid  rtevrr  freercs. beneath  thefn.  ^n"Tac»»'»tl'tt^  ha\^ 


got  nothing_to.  do*  to  grow,  and  it  is  interesting*^  ^ 


■n  0^  - i 


iSj 


63 


The  Yosemite  Valley. 

note  that  this  species  is  not  wearing  out,  for  young 
trees  can  be  seen  growing  vigorously.  We  say  young 
trees,  meaning  about  four  hundred  years  old,  because  the 
monsters  themselves  are  over  two  thousand  years  old. 
One  of  the  largest  of  these  is  the  Grizzly  Giant  ; it 
is  one  hundred  and  seven  feet  in  circumference,  and  in 
the  thickest  place  thirty-four  feet  in  diameter.  The  first 
branch  is  nearly  two  hundred  feet  from  the  ground, 
and  is  eight  feet  in  diameter.  The  writer  took  a num- 
ber of  photographs  of  these  trees  and  several  views 
in  the  immediate  neighborhood  ; from  these  the  illustra- 
tions which  appear  in  this  book  were  made.  Most  of  the 
large  trees  have  special  names  attached  to  them.  Many 
are  named  after  the  States,  others  are  named  after  cele- 
brated men,  such  as  Longfellow,  Lincoln,  Grant,  Ferdinand 
de  Lesseps,  George  Washington,  Daniel  Webster,  W.  H. 
Seward,  and  Andrew  Johnson.  It  seems  a little  incon- 
gruous that  the  names  of  these  modern  celebrities  should 
be  attached  to  trees  whose  chief  claim  to  recognition,  aside 
from  their  size,  is  their  great  age — trees  that  existed  before 
Titus  besieged  Jerusalem,  which  were  the  contemporaries 
of  an  Attila  or  a Constantine,  and  which  bid  fair  to  live 
when  the  names  they  bear  shall  have  faded  into  oblivion. 
Incongruous  though  it  may  be,  however,  it  is  gratifying 
that  the  names  they  bear  are  those  of  Americans.  The 
pertinence  of  this  remark  will  appear,  when  I mention 
that  the  first  British  botanist  who  saw  the  trees,  had  the 
monumental  assurance  to  christen  them  Wellingtonia, 
although  years  before  they  had  received  the  name  of 
Washingtonia.  British  botanists  still  call  the  trees 


64 


California  and  Alaska. 


Welliiigtonia,  and  will  probably  continue  to  do  so  for 
their  own  satisfaction. 

Probably  a quarter  of  the  trees  in  all  the  groves  are 
over  twenty-five  feet  in  diameter ; the  stump  of  one  of 
them,  thirty-two  feet  in  diameter,  has  a house  built  over 
it.  Five  men  worked  twenty-five  days  with  pump-augurs 
before  they  could  cut  it  down.  The  stump  is  cut  five  feet 
from  the  ground,  and  a party  of  thirty-two  have  danced 
on  it  at  once,  not  counting  the  musicians  and  spectators, 
who  filled  up  part  of  the  space.  Twenty  feet  in  length 
of  this  log  would  make  forty-nine  thousand  feet  of  boards, 
which  would  be  worth  several  thousand  dollars. 

One  of  the  trees  has  been  tunnelled,  and  a road  built 
through  it,  so  that  coaches  can  drive  inside.  When  stand- 
ing underneath  it  the  leaders’  heads  are  just  outside  the 
arch  of  the  tree  at  one  end,  while  the  end  of  the  coach  is 
just  outside  the  arch  at  the  other.  This,  perhaps,  will  give 
a better  idea  of  the  enormous  diameter  of  these  trees  than 
any  arithmetical  statements.  The  width  of  the  opening 
through  this  tree  is  sufficient  to  allow  two  stages  to 
pass  each  other  inside  the  tree.  The  Faithful  Couple  is 
about  twenty-eight  feet  in  diameter,  reaches  seventy  feet 
out  of  the  ground,  and  forms  into  two  trees  on  one  stem  ; 
the  faithful  couple  of  trees  having,  in  reality,  but  one  life, 
a kind  of  Siamese-twins  existence  and  being  but  one.  The 
only  tree  which  approaches  the  Sequoia  in  size  and  gran- 
deur is  the  E^ualyptus  of  Australia,  which  is  from  eighty 
to  ninety  feet  in  circumference. 

After  we  had  gratified  our  curiosity  with  regard  to  the 
Big  Trees,  we  returned  to  W awona,  where  we  took  another 


Dead  Giant,  Tnolninne  G^'ove— Diameter, 
JO  ft.  8 in. 


— V 


-V 


ji  (tn«i_  j^lluska. 


’ I 


..  ■ V 


Ws- ' 


%ni  probably'  c»nti|iue..  to  clp‘  t*o  ^ai/ 
n.^'"  -■'  *" ' • 

ter  of  the  trees  in  alf  the-  groves  m€,- 
feet  in  Jiameter;  the  stumpr  of  otic  ♦>{ 
o feet  in  diaineterr  has,  a house^oont  over* 
worked  fwenty-fiye  days  with-pump-at 
■ «hey  could  cut  it  down;  The  stutop  is  cut  five 
i,tfc  ground,  and  a party  of  thirty-tis^^have  dan< 

*t  at  once,  not  counting  the  musicians  and  sped 
who  filled  up  p4n  of  tSc  Twenty  feet  in  I 

Of  this  log  w<x,»id  foityfr^tc^^rjusamd  feet  of  boa 

'''  r*^  • -V»«i dollaiS. 

V ^ *’  »#»d  a road  by 

1.^  i0'^>  When  st^’dif  • 

4 rr  " ■ '^*><1  ol  thej  coach  i» 

,yti«  .vw 'fe,A\c>t  1 itiiv.  -.  0 fliapn^wnU  give 
i f-et*r»*MTit  M 'iy-  enrjr»utt_’i  ’ ir^  *f  sli««f  trees  than,  ta 
an  f yridih  of  the  openh^j 

ihiough  this  tree  m suftkient  to  allow  two  stag<^ 
pass  each  oihcr‘ins»dc  the  tree.  The  Faithful  Coupift'- 
about  twenty-eight  feet  in  diameter,  reaches  seventy 
out  of  the  ground,  and  forms  into  two  trees  on  orte  stew 
the  faithful  couple  of  trees,  havingr  in  reality,  Iwt  one  life 
4 kind  of  Siamvsekwms  existence. andl  being  but  one.  Tl^<; 
..nly  tree  which  approaches  lliu  in.  size,  and  g; 

■*  the  of  AustfaKawliTch  is  fitun  eight 

' -^ty  eet  in  circumference.  ?< 

* wehad  grained  our  curfosity  wifi,  rtfgard  to 

. 'v4F«'  K>«a!.  1 ' tariff  to  Wawona.  where  we  took  .anod»R^! 


>•' 


The  Yo Semite  Valley. 


65 


stage  and  a fresh  set  of  horses  and  started  at  once  for 
the  valley.  On  this  drive  we  had  three  changes  of  horses 
and  the  scenery  was  simply  grand.  The  ride  was  rather 
a rough  one,  but  the  views  to  be  obtained  were  well 
worth  the  cost  of  the  journey.  W e alighted  from  our 
coach  at  the  world-renowned  Inspiration  Point,  which  is 
a little  green  plateau,  about  twenty  feet  square,  on  the 
very  verge  of  the  southwest  wall  of  the  valley.  The  view 
from  this  situation,  once  seen,  can  never  be  forgotten.  It 
embraces  what  might  be  called  the  whole  gamut  of  the 
natural  and  magnificent  ; you  see  mountains,  rock,  perpen- 
dicular ledge,  towering  spires  thousands  of  feet  high,  snow- 
clad  mountains,  bald  peaks  peering  into  the  blue  vault  of 
heaven,  barren  domes  of  gray  granite,  water-falls,  cascades, 
and  brooks,  green  fields,  and  winding  streams, — the  whole 
Yosemite  is  here  seen  at  one  glance.  There  was  a shelv- 
ing rock,  upon  which  we  were  instructed  to  creep  cautiously 
to  the  edge.  It  is  no  wonder  that  the  first  glance  makes 
some  weak  persons  giddy,  especially  when  they  are  ex- 
hausted by  the  long  ride.  The  beauty  of  the  scene  is 
indescribable  in  words  ; the  experience  might  be  compared 
to  a person  looking  over  the  edge  of  a grand  cyclorama, 
executed  on  a magnificent  scale,  containing  all  manner  of 
natural  effects,  and  absolutely  perfect  in  artistic  execution. 

The  party  were  particularly  impressed  with  1^1  Capitan, 

which  is,  indeed,  the  most  prominent  attraction  to  the  eye 

when  coming  down  the  mountain-side  into  the  valley. 

This  mountain,  called,  in  English,  the  Great  Chief  of  the 

Valley,  although  not  so  high,  by  several  thousand  feet,  as 

some  of  its  giant  neighbors,  is  remarkable  on  account  of 
9 


66 


Califo7mia  and  Alaska. 


its  isolation,  its  breadth,  its  perpendicular  sides,  its  bold, 
defiant  shape,  and  its  prominence  as  it  stands  out  like  a 
great  rock  promontory.  It  is  three  thousand  three  hun- 
dred feet  in  height,  and  the  beholder  stands  in  mute  aston- 
ishment as  he  views  its  massive  proportions. 

The  Yosemite  Valley  was  discovered  in  the  spring  of 
1851,  by  a party  under  the  command  of  Major  James 
Savage,  who,  at  the  time,  was  pursuing  a number  of  preda- 
tory Indians,  who  made  it  their  stronghold,  considering  it 
inaccessible  to  the  whites.  The  name  Yosemite  was  given 
to  it  in  the  belief  that  it  was  the  Indian  term  for  grizzly 
bear.  The  valley  proper  can  hardly  be  called  a valley  ; it 
is  in  reality  a rift  in  the  earth’s  surface.  It  may  be  described 
as  a chasm,  varying  in  width  from  one  mile  to  ninety  feet, 
with  orranite  walls  from  one  thousand  to  four  thousand 

o 

feet  high.  Masses  of  detached  rock  stand,  in  their  soli- 
tude, like  giant  obelisks  ; others  have  been  split  from  top 
to  bottom  as  though  by  a thunder-bolt.  Through  the 
windings  of  the  valley  flows  a river,  cold  as  ice  and  clear 
as  crystal,  its  source  apparently  being  from  the  clouds 
above.  There  is  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  the  extreme 
of  barrenness,  the  softest  carpet-moss  and  grassy  lawns, 
and  great  ferns  and  wild  roses,  alternating  with  huge  scat- 
tered rocks,  where  not  even  the  lichen  will  cling.  The 
traveller  will  note  how  the  sunbeams  brighten  the  summits 
of  the  giant  mountains  ; how  the  sunshine  creeps  down 
the  sides  of  the  cold  walls,  filling  the  valley  with  floods  of 
golden  glory,  made  brighter  by  the  contrast  of  patches  of 
deep  shade,  for  there  are  some  spots  here  which  the  sun 
never  reaches — cold,  and  damp,  and  always  dripping  ; and 


Yosc77iite  Valley,  from  Artist's  Point. 


W4.'‘  ^-''  A.ldsk0^  'ir  a', 

I f ’’  ii  ■ , , -"‘ •■ 

*Hi<ith,  its  pcrpenvHcsilar  sides.  ii»  tfW4.  ^ 


lory*  H » thr^iho'69«l«  'th^1^^  J 
bfifeoltiier  stancfe  in  mdl^  aatom 


SOlg  ; 

atlwtJ^  httfN-  Bf>iit  from  top 
bt<.  i:ii<xugh  t>y  » |bu«tl<*r4>^»lt  Tbrmiglt.  the^t'  ,* 
'V  vpE^'pf  \^J!ey  fto^vji  a fWcr,  cold  as  ice  and  clear 
^%^ilal;‘  ics  source  ^»parently  being  from  the  cloudy 
VC.  The^re  is  luxuriant  vegetation, ^and  the  extreme  ,^J 
brir^nncjwrtlie^toft^st  carpet-moss  and  grassy  lawn^  ' e 
id  grd»  fern<*and  wild  roses,  alternating  with  huge  scat-  ^ * 
■d  roefcs,  u4'<ire  not  even  the  lichen  Ibe 

ifcr  will  note  how  the  sunbeams  lwijj^t'fti  LhAlhnnmits^  ^ 


. mmji^insf  how^the  snnwiiiii*  CfBCpi^  do>^ 

* **  ^ J^.  i 

" madilbrighttt^by^ihe  contrast. of  of 

foi^thei^  ar^*  !=>oVn  here  wh^kh^  sun 

i-teri 


V.‘ 


•■«■  ■ C • * 


I 


The  Yosemitc  Valley. 


67 


there  are  gorges  with  arms  wide-open,  as  if  forever  to  court 
the  orb  of  day. 

Briefly  stated,  the  chief  features  of  the  valley  are  its 
perpendicular  walls,  their  great  height  as  compared  with 
the  width  of  the  valley,  and  the  small  amount  of  debris 
formed  at  the  base  of  these  gigantic  mountains  of  rock. 
The  general  opinion  is  that  these  great  mountains  of  rock 
have  been  gradually  rent  in  twain  from  dome  to  base  by 
some  volcanic  action  and  the  chasm  thus  made  widened 
by  further  volcanic  action  to  its  present  width.  The 
valley  is  one  vast  flower-garden  ; plants,  shrubs,  and  flow- 
ers of  ev'ery  hue  cover  the  ground  like  a carpet ; the  eye  is 
dazzled  by  the  brilliancy  of  the  color,  and  the  air  is  heavy 
with  the  fragrance  of  a million  blossoms.  There  are  trees 
of  five  and  six  hundred  years’  growth,  of  immense  height, 
and  yet  in  comparison  with  the  vast  perpendicular  clefts 
of  rock  they  look  like  daisies  beside  a sycamore  of  the 
forest.  One  interesting  writer  on  the  subject  of  the 
Yosemite  advances  the  theory  that  it  is  possible  that  the 
spot  may  have  been  the  Eden  of  Scripture. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th  we  all,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Dr.  McLane,  left  the  hotel  on  horseback  for  the 
trail  to  the  top  of  Glacier  Point.  This  is  considered 
one  of  the  most  dangerous  trails  in  the  valley.  At  two 
or  three  places  half-way  up  the  mountain  the  wall  on  one 
side  was  actually  perpendicular,  and  the  path,  not  over 
two  feet  wide,  was  held  up  by  a few  small  stones,  any  one 
of  which  if  loosened  would  roll  thousands  of  feet  below.  It 
was  a matter  of  much  concern  to  us  that  one  of  the  ladles 
became  very  much  frightened  at  this  stage  of  the  journey. 


68 


California  and  Alaska. 


If  she  could  hold  on  to  her  horse,  and  retain  her  senses, 
we  knew  that  all  would  be  well,  because  the  intelligent 
animal  would  not  go  over  the  cliff.  It  was  utterly  im- 
possible for  her  escort  to  be  of  any  assistance,  as,  at  this 
point,  there  was  scarcely  sufficient  space  for  a rider  to 
stand  alongside  his  horse.  Before  coming  to  the  danger- 
ous place  on  the  homeward  journey,  the  lady  dismounted 
and  walked  with  her  companion  nearly  to  the  foot  of  the 
mountain.  California  mustangs  are  the  horses  used  in 
this  kind  of  service.  They  feed  on  oat-straw  or  moun- 
tain pasture,  and  can  withstand  very  hard  usage.  The 
Spanish  saddle  is  used,  with  high  peaks  before  and  be- 
hind ; the  stirrups  are  covered  with  huge  leathers  which 
fall  five  or  six  inches  below  the  feet,  and  the  legs  are 
protected  by  broad  leathern  shields. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  we  made  our  trip  to 
Glacier  Point  some  of  the  party  made  a trip  to  Nevada 
Falls.  Dr.  McLane  and  the  writer,  procured  a wagon 
and  drove  to  the  Yosemite  Falls,  and  other  points 
of  interest  in  the  valley.  The  Yosemite  Valley  is 
situated  on  the  Merced  River,  in  the  southern  portion 
of  the  county  of  Mariposa,  one  hundred  and  forty 
miles  a little  southeast  from  San  P'rancisco.  At  times 
this  river  flows  along  in  a grave,  respectable  sort  of 
fashion,  then  leaps  over  a precipice  a hundred  feet  high, 
or  more,  then  tumbles  and  foams  its  way  through  a devious 
course  around  massive  rocks  as  large  as  a house.  Some- 
times it  hops,  skips,  and  jumps  over  its  rocky  bed  appar- 
ently in  playful  mood  ; sometimes  its  noise  is  almost  deaf- 
ening, sometimes  soft  and  low  and  musical  to  the  ear.  It 


Nevada  Falls, 


I • 


TV 


\ (hffft^nia  and  ""Alaska. 


If  tk»  »j.T  /.-;.  'to  her  horse,  and  retain^ her 

V <r<-«uki  be'wcU.  lx?cause  the  intelUgem  „ 

•;v»j’“f  1^..*  ifti  **vcr  the  Clift,  ^It  was  utterly Tm-  - 
A(«rt  lo  be  of  any  assistance,  as,  at  this 
pmm  lifiarcely  sufficient  space  for  a riddt*  U>  ' 


b«s  horse.  Before  coming  to  the  ‘fanjjiil 


iJic  hfirneward  journey,  the  lady  dismoum:t« 
companion  nearly  to  the  foot  of  the 
’ ncu^trnauip.  California  mustangs  arc  the  horses  used^ib- 
this  iind  of  servicer  They  feed  on  oat-stiraw  or 
isfo  jwbjiirr.  AfKf  withsumd  very  hard  usage.  Th^,;, 

' p<*aks  befoj^  and 

h ‘«rf“  ih  /■  h»i|5e  leather®' whic^^ 

m th«  V»«t  .fiid-tKcMegs'^are^ 

Cll»  our  tripytd’^ 

C.r-  jftnic  oTthe  party  made  a trip  to  Nevad^;. 

hauU,  V<  hfeJLane  and  the  writer,  procured  a wag<Mi 
«nd  to  ^the  Yosemite"  Falls,  and  other  points;. 

V>i  rifK'ttit  in'^the  valley.  The  Yosemitc  Valley  is 
lnt««UMli  on  the  Merced  River,  in  the  southern  porti^,; -. 
oC  ’ .Tte  county  of  Mariposa,  oner  hundred  ^and 
mUeit  a Uttle-^outheast*  from  San  Francisca  ''  At  titnei|t’ 
ihju. . ri^r  flows  along  in  a grave,  rcapiecltihkb  si>rt  of  '^ 
fadNfe''^**  '.hen  leaps  <^er  a prmpke  » lamdred  feet  high* 
tlten  tumbles  and  foanurits  vray  through  a devii«n 
massive  rocks  as  large  as  a housa  ;>  Some^ 
lirif*  if  skips,  and  jumps  over  its  rocky  ijed  apj^^^-^ 

‘ ctiUy  ^yu't  rrtood ; sometimes  its  noUf  ia  almost  deaf*  ” 


tming.,  avMnrtfrnT^  soft  andjow  and  muricaJ  to  the  ear.  It 


The  Yosemite  Valley. 


69 


flows  on  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  midway 
between  its  eastern  and  western  base,  and  in  the  centre  of 
the  State,  measuring  north  and  south.  It  is  a narrow 
stream  enclosed  in  frowning  granite  walls,  rising  with  al- 
most unbroken  and  perpendicular  faces  to  the  dizzy 
height  of  from  three  to  six  thousand  feet  above  the  green 
and  quiet  valley  beneath.  During  the  rainy  season,  and 
when  the  snows  melt,  streams  are  formed  on  the  preci- 
pices, shaping  themselves  into  cataracts  of  beauty  and 
magnificence  surpassing  any  thing  known  in  mountain 
scenery.  Looking  up  the  valley,  from  the  foot  of  the 
Mariposa  trail,  El  Capitan  is  seen  on  the  left,  and  on  the 
right,  the  Cathedral  Rocks  and  a beautiful  fall  called  the 
Bridal  Veil,  which  jumps,  in  sportive  glee,  a distance  of 
nearly  one  thousand  feet  into  the  valley.  Long  before 
the  water  reaches  its  rocky  bed  it  is  transformed  into  mist, 
and  when  the  wind  blows  gently  it  is  wafted  hither  and 
thither,  sometimes  forming  itself  into  a thin  veil,  some- 
times closing  as  if  to  hide  its  purity.  The  Cathedral 
Rocks  on  the  east  are  nearly  three  thousand  feet  in  height, 
and  look  like  isolated  church  spires  of  solid  granite,  with 
rocky  sides  gently  sloping  from  the  base  to  the  pinnacle, 
with  no  signs  of  vegetation  on  their  rugged  sides.  As 
yet,  no  human  foot  has  stood  on  that  barren  emi- 
nence. The  Virgin’s  Tears  Creek,  directly  opposite  the 
Bridal  Veil,  is  in  a deep  recess  of  the  rocks  near  the 
lower  corner  of  El  Capitan.  Earther  up  the  valley 
is  the  group  of  rocks  known  as  the  Three  Brothers, 
or  “ Mountains  Playing  Leap-frog.”  Looked  at  from 
below,  the  peculiar  shape  of  these  three  rocks  give 


70 


California  and  Alaska. 


them  the  appearance,  very  much,  of  three  frogs  in  the  act 
of  goingthrough  the  performance  indicated.  The  Yosem- 
ite  Falls — three  in  one — are  farther  up  the  valley.  The 
water  dashes  with  great  force  over  the  rocks  and  plunges 
into  a vast  basin  of  rock  beneath.  Gathering  strength,  it 
again  leaps  forth,  and  falling  between  the  North  Dome 
and  the  Three  Brothers,  takes  its  final  plunge  of  six  hun- 
dred feet  into  the  valley.  The  roar  of  the  falls  is  heard 
at  all  times,  but  in  the  quiet  and  darkness  of  the  night  it 
seems  as  if  the  very  earth  were  being  rent  asunder.  There 
are  no  falls  in  the  world  that  equal  these  in  size  and  mag- 
nificence. Niagara  is  two  hundred  feet  high,  but  here  is 
a fall  more  than  ten  times  as  high,  and  the  renowned 
Staubbach  of  Switzerland  is  not  to  be  compared  with  it. 
At  the  foot  of  one  of  the  mountains  is  Mirror  Lake,  a pure, 
clear,  cold  body  of  water  which  reflects,  as  in  a looking- 
glass,  the  towering  battlements  of  rock  above. 

To  reach  the  Vernal  and  Nevada  Falls  the  traveller 
rides  through  a valley  carpeted  with  bright-colored,  fragrant 
flowers,  and  is  obliged  to  cross  the  river  Merced.  At  the 
base  of  the  Sentinel  Dome  is  the  Vernal  Fall  or  Cataract 
of  Diamonds.  The  falling  cloud  of  white  foam  leaps  over 
its  rocky  bed  into  a fearful  declivity,  making  a tumultuous 
noise  to  which  the  roar  of  Niagara  is  as  the  sigh  of  the 
south  wind.  For  half  a mile  below  the  falls  the  stream 
looks  like  one  mass  of  foam.  The  Nevada  Fall  is  twice 
the  height  of  the  Vernal,  and  is  the  grandest  of  all  the 
falls  in  the  valley.  There  is  an  obstruction  on  the  north 
side  of  the  fall,  which  causes  a division  of  a considerable 
volume  of  water,  and  makes  it  tumble  by  itself  in  mad 


Yo Semite  Falls. 


J , ^ 

J . -I  *^  -1: 


the 


Cixlifornia  and  Alaska. 


them  th*  v'cr^^mwch,  oi  three'frogs  m l 

t^pcrfoniaoince  )*adi<»M^ 

: fftoiKi  farther  up  the  yall^.  J 'iitt 
w-x€f  •fctu  * ■'•'.  „'rcat  force.over  the  rocks  aPcl‘5pli;ixg<ig" 

♦«*(r 

I Brothers,  takes- its  final  plun^ 

UJ<"' 

,»  w 


m--  ieu»  the  valley*',.  The  roar  of  thpfialls  is  h 

4»  iik  u-neshf  but  in  the  quiet  and  darknp^^qf  the  yig^  | 

>4l9rxyflr  if  the  very  earth  were  being  rent  asunder.  : 
r> ,,  . .1  I j .r 


Af»  iM»  iiUs  m the  world  that  equal  these  in' sue  atul  m^  '‘ 


• '».esnce.r  Niagara  i*  i%*0  h unj^rod  feet  highrbnl  V 

•H  more*  thsin  ten 'tiUlfe  - IhtfK  and  thfe'  rcnowj^ls 


**w^bbach  of  S^erhiiwf'  •<  ikii  to  be  conifiarP«|  \vith?'^<'  ^ 
. ihefoot  of  one  of  the  mounti^iw  i».  M irror  ’ ’’ 

-if  4r*cc»ld  i iorly  wlYiel)iidl(t|jbeis,  as  in  a lopWi 


1 


;k  above.?a 


To  reach  the  ycmal  and^ Nevada  Falk'  the  tra^ 


■ - ,4  . ■^  ■ ■ • _ --tjr 

^")d  ^ ^ te"*^**^  througlv  a valley  carpeted  with  bright-coloi!^#  frag 

* (Iffwers.  aful  is  obliged  to  cross -Bie  river/Mer^^^A^ 

‘ ^ ' ' ‘ Ai»i  of  the'*  Sentinel  Dome  is  the  .Vernal  Fall  o^Catai 


«»f  Diamonds  The  falling  cloud  of  while  foant  leaps  03?|j||r 

iis  rocky  bed  into  a fearful  declivity,,  making  a tiimahuouj^ 
?**  f»o4^  to  which  the  roaf^of  Ni^ara  is  fhlf '--git  ofydies- 

ssnarth  ^vind.  For  half  a mile  IwJow  t|«^  ' the  streagip 


' liiOo<--.  Ulce  one  mass  of  foanx  y^T^  1 

' theWphf  of  the  Vernal,  and  i'  iAe  gfioiAciit  of  all  the 


in  valley.  There  *»  on  ida^rtiction  oo  thcjUpr^ 
,tW  fall,  which.  cat«^  a' division  of  a co^idei?^^ 

^ » ■ .1  it-olf  m Triad 


vol'Jiin'  of  wsitttfi  and  mak^  it  tumble  by  itself  tn  ma 


The  Yosemite  Valley.  71 

cascades,  that  come  leaping  and  dancing  down  the  rocks, 
\hsitors  find  no  difficulty  in  going  up  to  the  very  foot  of 
the  fall,  where  they  can  gaze  at  its  magnificent  power, 
and  listen  to  its  stupendous  roar,  until  they  are  fairly 
drenched  with  the  spray. 

The  hotel  at  which  we  stopped  at  this  point  in  our 
journey,  although  well-built  and  comfortable  in  some 
respects,  is  as  badly  kept  as  any  place  of  the  kind  we  had 
ever  seen.  This  is  very  unfortunate,  because  if  it  were 
properly  managed  the  natural  surroundings  are  such  that 
visitors  would  be  tempted  to  remain  several  days  in  the 
locality,  instead  of  getting  through  their  sight-seeing,  and 
leaving  the  place  as  quickly  as  possible.  When  travellers 
first  began  to  come  to  this  section,  the  “ hotels,”  as  they 
were  grandiloquently  called,  were  nothing  more  than  inns, 
where  the  accommodations  were  of  the  rudest  possible  de- 
scription. 

We  left  the  valley  at  half-past  six  on  the  morning  of 
April  27th.  The  weather  was  cold,  but  bright.  As  we 
came  past  Inspiration  Point  we  gave  one  last  look  at  the 
grand  scenery  which  had  been  to  us  such  a source  of 
pleasure  for  two  days.  We  drove  out  the  entire  distance 
of  sixty-four  miles,  and  arrived  at  Raymond  about  five 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the  stage 
company  at  Wawona,  the  writer  of  the  party  secured  a 
buck-board  wagon,  and,  with  his  wife,  drove  all  the  way 
to  Raymond,  having  one  change  of  horses.  We  were  all 
glad  to  get  back  to  our  car  ; by  this  time  it  seemed  to  us, 
in  a certain  sense,  like  a permanent  residence,  and  so  far 
as  the  cuisine  was  concerned,  in  looking  back  upon  our 


72  Califoj'iiia  and  Alaska. 

hotel  experiences  in  the  valley,  there  was  certainly  “ no 
place  like  home,”  for  the  table  at  the  hotels  did  not  begin 
to  compare  with  our  own. 

At  half-past  six  o’clock  the  train  left  for  Berenda.  It 
was  composed  of  a dozen  freight  cars,  two  Pullman  sleep- 
ers, our  car,  and  a coach.  Half-way  to  Berenda,  at  one  of 
the  local  stations,  through  the  mistake  of  one  of  the 
switch-tenders,  a switch  was  left  open.  Fortunately,  the 
engineer  was  not  running  over  twenty  miles  an  hour  at 
the  time,  and  was  able  to  prevent  a serious  accident  by  the 
immediate  use  of  the  air-brakes.  We  were  all  at  dinner 
when  the  accident  happened,  and  when  the  train  brought 
up  with  a tremendous  jerk,  it  almost  upset  every  thing  on 
the  table.  On  going  out  it  was  discovered  that  the  engine 
had  run  on  a siding  directly  into  a lot  of  freight  cars, 
sending  some  of  them  on  to  the  main  track  ahead,  knocking 
others  off  their  trucks,  and  altogether  making  a pretty  bad 
wreck.  It  took  us  over  half  an  hour  to  clear  the  main 
line  of  debris,  before  our  journey  could  be  resumed. 

While  driving  out  from  the  valley,  we  had  very  cool 
and  comfortable  weather.  On  our  arrival  at  Raymond  we 
were  surprised  to  learn  that  the  people  in  that  vicinity  had 
been  sufferinor  from  the  heat.  The  evidence  of  the  torrid 

o 

state  of  the  atmosphere  was  also  to  be  seen  on  our  car,  the 
paint  upon  which  had  peeled  off  in  many  places,  while  the 
inside  sash  on  the  sunny  side  had  been  blistered  by  the 
heat,  taking  the  varnish  completely  off. 

While  going  into,  and  coming  out  of  the  valley,  we 
saw  large  quantities  of  quail,  and  our  driver  informed  us 
that  during  the  season  the  hunting  is  very  good.  We 


Glacier  Point,  ( j,200  feetj  Vosemite 

) 

Valley. 


/ 


Cali^rriia  and  Alasko, 

hotel  f'X{X'Tlc*nceS  in  ihc  tlirrt*  was  ccrr.^j-v 

plaa*  lik«‘  home,"  for  th<  t6J‘U  j'  hotels  did  n*;  . > 
to  comp«r»*  willt  our 

At  luJf'par-i  >"  *fk  the  train  left  for  Ikrenda.  • '*■■■ 
was  compoir>d  . * .<»  o freight  cars,  two  Pullman  sieq> 

cp»,  our  car.  1-  a < Malf-way  to  Bcrcnda,  at  on*-^  of 

the  local  ...  through  the  mistake  of  one  of  tlsj  ^ 

switch-tf  i 'J.  .3  -.witch  was  left  open;  Fortunately, 

engiiirr-  not  running  over  twenty  miles  an  hour 
th'*.  tit.:  , r vas  able  to  prevent  a serious  accident  by  tin; 

i f the  .lir  brakes.  'We  were  all  at  dini^.^-^J 
w>r)^-f5.  i and  when  the.  train  Frougbi 
a almost  upset  every  tiling  on 
I Vi  tvered  that  the  engine 

yv  *t,t«e  m.iin  io<  k jhead,  knocking 
‘ i inickisi uJ altogether  making  a pretty  bai 

I took  us  over  half  an  hour  to  clear  the  niain  : 

- • M bfiforc  our  journey  could  he  resumed.  ; ^ 

While  driving  out  from  thr  valley,  we  had  very  co^l 
-^^r*  corafortablf-  weather;  On  pur  arrival  at  Raymond  wv 
-.  re  .surpn.?<'fi  to  learn  that  the  people  in  that  vicinity  had  ' 
- ^uh.  nng  from  the  heat.  The  evidence  of  th^torrl'd 
. ) vht'  atmosphere  was  also  to  ^ e « . ^ - ar.  tlie 

. •'  which  had  peeled  off  in  m»uy  | - ^ % while  the 
* ‘ . . on  the'  .sunny' si»ie  had  be«wt:.i3icred  by  ibx 

' • i he  varnish  C'.’Tipjrr  'ly  ofl. 

. .ing  into,  and  coming  out  of  tl  . »ljey.  we 
saw  ' byes  of  .quail,  and  our  driver  rofoimed  tyt  , 

during  rhe  _ason  the  hunting  is  very.  good.  AVc 


• I 


V 


V 


Soitth  Dome,  from  Glacier  Point. 


The  Yosemite  Valley. 


73 


also  passed  a tlume,  of  which  an  illustration  is  given 
herewith.  This  Hume  is  built  of  plank  and  carries  logs 
and  boards  to  a distance  of  seventy  miles.  It  is  about 
two  feet  high,  two  feet  wide,  and  eight  inches  deep,  with 
flaring  sides,  and  the  water  runs  through  it  at  quite  a rapid 
rate.  When  it  crosses  ravines  or  winds  around  the  moun- 
tain-side, it  is  supported  on  trestle-work.  The  lumber  is 
sawed  some  distance  up  in  the  mountains,  bound  together 
in  bundles  of  seven  or  eight  planks,  then  let  into  the 
flume,  and  floated  down  stream  to  the  railroad  station. 
The  part  of  the  flume  shown  in  the  picture  carries  lumber 
down  to  Madera,  a station  on  the  Southern  Pacific  Rail- 
road, one  hundred  and  eighty-five  miles  from  San  Fran- 
cisco. 

10 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SAN  FRANCISCO. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  April  28th  we  left  Berenda 
on  the  express,  and  arrived  at  Oakland  about  nine 
o’clock.  We  found  an  engine  waiting  for  us, 
which  immediately  took  our  car  and  ran  us  special  to  Mon- 
terey, where  we  arrived  about  three  in  the  afternoon.  The 
children  were  all  well,  and  overjoyed  to  see  us,  and  listened 
with  unfeigned  pleasure  to  the  stories  we  had  to  tell  them 
of  the  wonders  we  had  seen.  Our  return  was  made  pleas- 
anter from  the  fact  that  we  found  three  mail-bags  awaiting 
US,  and  it  took  us  several  hours  to  reply  to  the  generous 
batch  of  correspondence  we  found  on  our  hands. 

On  the  following  morning,  Monday,  we  resumed  our 
old  habit  and  started  immediately  for  the  swimming-bath. 
In  the  afternoon,  the  writer  engaged  a buggy,  and  drove 
out  to  a ranch  twenty-eight  miles  from  Monterey.  Cali- 
fornia ranches  often  consist  of  thousands  of  acres,  and  are 
conducted  on  a very  large  scale.  The  word  “ ranch  ” has 
come  down  from  the  early  Spanish  occupancy,  and  is 
found,  in  some  form  or  other,  all  over  the  State ; farm- 
hands are  called  “ranchmen,”  and  a man  is  “ranching” 


74 


San  Fraaicisco . 


75 


horses  when  he  takes  them  to  pasture.  We  will  take  one 
ranch  of  sixteen  thousand  acres  as  a specimen.  It  extends 
about  four  miles  along  a river,  and  there  is  not  a field 
through  which  there  does  not  run  a living  stream  : these 
streams  come  down  from  the  mountains.  A flouring  mill 
of  great  capacity  is  on  one  part  of  the  ranch,  and  its 
wheels  are  kept  running  by  the  water  from  one  of  these 
streams.  Between  three  and  four  thousand  acres  are 
sown  with  wheat  and  barley,  and,  by  aid  of  machinery, 
twelve  hundred  bushels  of  wheat  can  be  made  ready  for 
the  mill  in  one  day.  The  whole  process  of  threshing, 
cleaning,  etc.,  is  gone  through  with  in  the  field,  and  the 
grain  at  once  put  into  sacks.  Fifty  horses  or  mules  and 
about  twenty  men  are  employed  from  November  until 
March,  in  making  the  ground  ready,  using  the  latest  and 
most  approved  agricultural  machinery.  The  laborers  live 
on  the  place  in  a house  at  a little  distance  from  that  of 
their  employer.  Wild  oats  grow  of  their  own  accord,  and 
six  hundred  head  of  cattle  live  on  parts  of  the  ranch  not 
under  cultivation.  Then  there  are  twelve  hundred  hogs, 
and  fourteen  thousand  sheep,  the  latter  having  a shepherd 
for  each  two  thousand  of  their  number. 

We  bade  adieu  to  Monterey  on  the  morning  of  the 
I St  of  May,  taking  our  special  train.  At  Menlo  Park  we 
were  met  by  the  boys — Louis,  Frank,  and  George  Bird — 
who  had  remained  at  San  P'rancisco  in  order  to  see  the 
town,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Pinkerton  detective,  who, 
being  an  old  Californian,  was  specially  qualified  to  act  as 
a guide.  Louis  brought  some  beautiful  roses  that  he  had 
procured  for  us  in  San  Francisco,  and  a number  of 


76 


California  and  Alaska. 


flowers  of  the  same  species  were  also  handed  us  by  a resi- 
dent of  Menlo  Park,  after  our  arrival. 

After  lunch  we  took  carriages  and  rode  out  to  Gov- 
ernor Stanford’s  stock  farm.  Through  some  misunder- 
standing, every  one  connected  with  the  place,  including 
Mr.  Marvin,  the  manager,  was  absent.  But  after  a little 
trouble  we  succeeded  in  getting^  a groom  to  show  us  some 
of  the  horses.  We  saw  “ Electioneer,”  and  some  of  the 
stallions,  together  with  the  celebrated  yearling  “ Electric 
Bells,”  owned  by  Miller  and  Sibley,  and  for  which  they 
paid  in  December,  1888,  thirteen  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.  He  is  a beauty,  and  very  well-developed,  and 
the  groom  assured  us  that  his  racing  future  was  full  of 
promise. 

After  visiting  the  stables,  we  drove  over  to  the  Uni- 
versity buildings  which  Governor  Stanford  is  erecting  to 
the  memory  of  his  son.  The  main  building  is  after  the 
Spanish  style  of  architecture,  only  one  story  high,  and 
with  tiled  roof.  It  is  In  the  form  of  a square,  with  a con- 
tinuous arcade  or  colonnade  running  around  it  inside. 
The  interior  square  is  connected  with  the  outside  by  four 
large  arches  under  each  side  of  the  building.  These 
structures  occupy  about  four  acres  of  ground,  and  when 
we  were  there  a large  body  of  men  were  at  work  on  the 
premises,  while  others  were  engaged  in  grading  and  pre- 
paring the  surrounding  grounds. 

Menlo  Park  is  beautifully  situated  at  the  foot  of  a 
mountain,  the  last  of  the  sea-coast  range.  It  is  thickly 
wooded,  and  looked  more  like  a park  than  any  place  of 
the  kind  we  had  ever  seen.  The  roads  are  kept  In  superb 


San  Francisco. 


77 


condition,  and  the  profusion  of  flowers  we  beheld  was 
something  wonderful.  We  drove  through  Governor  Stan- 
ford’s property,  and  saw  his  house  and  grounds  ; also  the 
large  vineyard  connected  with  it.  Near  his  place,  on 
the  site  where  he  intended  to  build  a house,  Governor 
Stanford  has  erected  a mausoleum  to  the  memory  of  his 
son.  After  our  drive  we  returned  to  the  car  and  left 
at  once  for  San  Francisca  Subsequently  we  had  the 
pleasure  of  meeting  the  Governor ; also  Mr.  C.  P.  Hunt- 
incjton,  who  was  about  startinor  for  New  York.  The 
Governor  talked  freely  about  horse-raising,  and  one 
could  see  that  he  was  thoroughly  enthusiastic  on  the 
subject. 

You  cannot  walk  about  the  City  of  the  Golden  Gate 
without  thinking  of  its  wonderful  growth  and  recalling  its 
early  history.  Only  forty  years  ago  men  were  living  on 
this  very  spot,  for  the  most  part  in  tents  and  shanties. 
Some  adventurers  formed  part  of  the  population,  but  they 
were  soon  exterminated.  Although  there  was  an  utter 
absence  of  the  refining  influence  of  women,  good  women 
were  held  in  profound  respect.  Life  and  property  were 
secure  though  locks  and  bars  were  unknown,  and  men 
trusted  their  money  to  people  who  a few  hours  before  had 
been  strangers  to  them.  There  was  not  a school,  or 
a Protestant  church,  but  men  read  their  Bibles  in  their 
homes.  The  discovery  of  gold  changed  this  condition  of 
affairs,  and  brought  to  the  locality  the  scum  of  the  whole 
world — convicts  from  Australia ; the  vatrabonds  of  larsre 
European  cities  ; the  toughs  from  New  York,  and  “ plug- 
uglies”  from  Philadelphia  ; desperadoes  from  Central  and 


78 


California  and  Alaska 


South  America  ; outcasts  from  the  South  Sea  Islands,  and 
pariahs  from  all  over  the  world.  All  kinds  of  crimes  were 
common,  and  no  man’s  life  or  property  were  safe.  Then 
came  the  “ Vigilance  Committee,”  and  the  reign  of  swift 
justice,  and  finally  San  Francisco  became  one  of  the  most 
quiet,  law-abiding,  well-governed  cities  in  the  world.  San 
Francisco  is  famed  for  its  restaurants.  It  is  said  they  num- 
ber about  four  hundred,  and  that  forty  thousand  people  daily 
take  their  meals  at  them.  They  are  of  all  grades  and  prices 
— from  the  “ Poodle  Dog,”  where  a dinner  costs  from  two 
and  a half  to  twenty  dollars,  down  to  the  Miner’s  Restau- 
rant, where  it  costs  only  forty  cents.  There  are  also 
a large  number  of  French,  German,  and  Italian  restaurants 
where  one  may  get  a good  breakfast  for  half  a dollar, 
a lunch  for  twenty-five  cents,  and  a dinner,  a la  carte, 
including  claret,  for  seventy-five  cents.  A tenderloin 
steak  (and  the  beef  is  said  to  be  of  an  excellent  quality), 
potatoes,  bread  and  butter,  and  a cup  of  coffee,  will  cost 
fifty  cents  ; a lamb  chop,  potatoes,  bread  and  butter,  and 
coffee,  twenty-five  cents ; salmon,  bread  and  butter,  and 
coffee,  twenty-five  cents  ; an  omelet,  or  eggs  boiled,  fried, 
or  scrambled,  with  coffee,  and  bread  and  butter,  thirty-five 
cents.  A grade  lower  down,  but  in  places  which  seem  to 
be  clean  and  respectable,  one  gets  three  dishes  for  twenty- 
five  cents,  and  may  obtain  quite  a decent  meal  for  from 
twenty  to  thirty  cents.  The  European  habit  of  living  in 
lodgings  and  taking  meals  at  restaurants,  is  very  much  in 
vogue  in  San  Francisco.  Among  the  hotels  is  one  which 
may  be  called  a California  peculiarity.  It  is  what  would 
be  called  a second- or  third-class  hotel,  but  serves  excellent 


San  Francisco. 


79 


meals  and  lodgings  at  fifty  cents  each  ; this  place  grew 
popular  under  the  patronage  of  the  miners,  who,  when 
they  come  into  town  from  their  distant  camps  and  cabins, 
insist  on  having  good  fare  though  they  are  rather  indiffer- 
ent to  the  manner  in  which  it  is  furnished.  This  hotel  has 
a special  office  for  receiving  clothes  to  be  washed  and 
mended,  a well-chosen  popular  library  with  five  thousand 
volumes,  full  files  of  newspapers  and  magazines,  an  exten- 
sive and  valuable  cabinet  of  minerals,  and  a beautiful 
collection  of  stuffed  birds,  all  for  the  accommodation  and 
entertainment  of  its  guests.  Its  reading-room  is  generally 
well-filled  with  plain,  rough-looking  men,  each  with  book 
or  newspaper  in  hand.  The  rule  of  the  establishment  is 
for  every  guest  to  buy  a supply  of  tickets  for  meals  and 
lodgings  on  his  arrival,  at  the  uniform  rate  of  fifty  cents 
each,  and  the  proprietor  redeems,  with  cash,  what  have  not 
been  used  up  when  the  customer  leaves. 

One  feature  of  San  Francisco  life  is  its  bar-rooms; 
many  of  which  are  fitted  up  in  a style  of  almost  Oriental 
grandeur.  They  are  furnished  with  immense  mirrors, 
reaching  from  floor  to  ceiling  ; carpets  of  the  finest 
texture  and  the  most  exquisite  patterns  ; luxurious 
lounges,  sofas,  and  arm-chairs  ; massive  tables  covered 
with  papers  and  periodicals,  while  the  walls  are  adorned 
with  beautiful  and  expensive  paintings.  .Some  years  ago 
a picture  which  had  hung  on  the  walls  in  one  of  these 
drinking-places  was  sold  for  twelve  thousand  five  hundred 
dollars.  Some  of  the  keepers  of  these  places  are  said  to 
be  men  of  considerable  education  and  culture.  One  of 
them,  some  years  ago,  was  an  art  critic  for  a leading  local 


8o 


California  and  Alaska. 


newspaper,  and  wrote  a readable  book  of  San  Francisco 
reminiscences.  There  are  two  classes  of  these  saloons 
which  furnish  a mid-day  repast  far  too  pretentious  to  be 
called  a “ free  lunch.”  In  the  first  a man  gets  a drink  and 
a meal  ; in  the  second,  a drink  and  a meal  of  inferior 
quality.  He  pays  for  the  drink  (twenty-five  or  fifteen 
cents,  according  to  the  grade  of  the  place)  and  gets  his 
meal  for  nothing.  This  consists,  in  the  better  class  of 
establishments,  of  soup,  boiled  salmon,  roast  beef  of  excel- 
lent quality,  bread  and  butter,  potatoes,  tomatoes,  crackers 
and  cheese.  On  the  subject  of  eating,  it  may  be  said  that 
the  San  Francisco  markets  supply  almost  every  conceivable 
want  of  hungry  humanity.  The  products  of  every  clime 
are  brought  to  the  city.  You  can  enjoy  such  luxuries  as 
green  peas,  fresh  tomatoes,  celery,  and  cauliflower  every 
day  in  the  year,  and  even  strawberries  may  be  a perennial 
delight.  Here,  for  months  in  succession,  are  grapes  of 
many  varieties,  at  from  two  to  fifteen  cents  a pound  ; here 
are  apples  from  Northern  California  and  Oregon,  pears, 
figs,  peaches,  apricots,  nectarines,  plums,  and  blackberries 
from  the  neighboring  valleys,  and  oranges,  lemons,  limes, 
and  bananas  from  the  southern  counties,  all  in  fullest  per- 
fection of  form  and  ripeness,  and  at  moderate  prices  by 
the  pound — for  fruits  and  vegetables  are  uniformly  sold 
by  weight.  Salmon  Is  plentiful  throughout  the  year  at  ten 
to  twenty  cents  a pound,  with  smelts,  soles,  herrings,  cod, 
bass,  shrimps — in  fact,  every  treasure  of  the  sea,  while  the 
variety  of  game  is  unequalled. 

The  Eastern  visitor  is  struck  with  the  good  manage- 
ment of  the  Wells  & Fargo  Express  Company,  which  has 


San  Francisco. 


8i 


been  a great  convenience  in  the  far  western  part  of  the 
country.  It  extends  to  every  village,  almost  to  every  min- 
ing camp,  in  the  Pacific  States  and  Territories.  It  Is  said 
that  the  first  three  establishments  set  up  in  a new  mining 
town  are  a restaurant,  a billiard-saloon,  and  a Wells  & 
Fargo  office  ; these  three  enterprises  represent  the  first 
stage  of  civilization.  In  the  early  days  the  company  carried 
more  letters  on  the  Pacific  coast  than  the  government  did, 
for,  though  it  first  paid  the  government  postage  on  every 
one,  and  then  added  its  own  charges,  the  certainty  and 
promptness  of  its  carriage  and  delivery  being  ahead  of 
the  post-office  department,  made  the  agency  very  much  in 
favor  with  the  public.  It  has  carried  as  many  as  three 
millions  of  letters  in  the  course  of  a year.  It  does  errands 
of  every  sort,  and  to  every  place  ; it  exchanges  gold  and 
greenbacks  ; it  buys  and  sells  gold  and  silver  in  the  rough  ; 
it  owns  all  the  principal  stage  lines  of  the  interior  ; and  it 
brings  to  market  all  the  productions  of  the  gold  and  silver 
mines. 

On  the  morning  of  May  3d,  by  invitation  of  General 
Miles,  commanding  the  Department  of  the  Pacific,  who 
had  called  upon  us  on  the  preceding  afternoon,  and  kindly 
extended  to  us  the  use  of  the  government  steamer  for  a 
sail  in  the  harbor,  we  went  to  the  Mission  Street  wharf 
and  boarded  the  vessel  McDowell.  We  sailed  out  throuijh 
the  Golden  Gate,  visited  the  fortress  and  the  Union  Iron- 
Works,  where  they  were  building  the  San  Francisco  ; we 
saw  the  Charleston,  which  had  just  been  completed,  and 
was  lying  in  a dock  near  by.  About  twenty-three  miles 
from  the  Golden  Gate  are  the  Farallon  Islands.  They 


82 


Caiifo7'nia  and  Alaska. 


are  six  rugged  islets,  and  the  meaning  of  the  word  Faral- 
lon,  which  is  Spanish,  is  a small  pointed  islet  in  the  sea. 
These  islands  are  seldom  visited  by  travellers  or  pleasure- 
seekers.  On  one  of  them  is  a government  light-house,  a 
brick  tower  seventeen  feet  high,  surmounted  by  a lantern 
and  illuminating  apparatus.  There  is  also  a fog-whistle, 
which  is  a huge  trumpet,  six  inches  in  diameter  at  its 
smaller  end,  and  which  is  blown  by  the  rush  of  air  through 
a cave  or  passage  connecting  with  the  ocean.  One  of  the 
numerous  caves  worn  into  the  rocks  by  the  surf  had  a 
hole  at  the  top,  through  which  the  incoming  breakers  vio- 
lently expelled  the  air  they  carried  before  them.  This 
cave  has  been  utilized.  The  mouth-piece  of  the  trumpet 
or  fog-whistle  is  fixed  against  the  aperture  in  the  rock, 
and  the  breaker,  as  it  dashes  in,  blows  the  fog-whistle, 
which  can  be  heard  at  a distance  of  seven  or  eight  miles. 

The  light-house  keepers  and  their  families  on  the  only 
inhabited  island  pass  a very  lonely  life.  Their  house, 
which  is  built  under  the  shelter  of  the  rocks,  seems  to  be 
open  to  perpetual  storm  ; the  sound  of  the  ocean’s  roar 
is  never  absent  day  or  night  ; wild  birds  scream,  sea- 
lions  howl,  and  every  now  and  then  there  are  dreadful 
storms  to  make  the  din  more  hideous.  During  the  winter 
season  the  supply  vessel  is  unable,  sometimes,  to  make  a 
landing  for  weeks  at  a time.  The  islands  are  inhabited  by 
multitudes  of  sea-lions,  and  vast  numbers  of  birds  and 
rabbits.  The  latter  animals  are  descendants  from  a few 
pairs  brought  to  the  islands,  many  years  ago,  by  a specu- 
lator who  intended  to  make  a rabbit  warren  for  the  supply 
of  the  San  Francisco  market.  The  animals  increase  very 


San  Francisco. 


83 

rapidly,  so  much  so  that  sometimes  hundreds  of  them 
perish  of  starvation  and  general  weakness.  The  sea-lions 
congregate  by  thousands  upon  the  cliffs,  many  of  them 
bigger  than  an  ox.  They  lie  in  the  sun  upon  the  bare  and 
warm  rocks,  or,  climbing  to  high  summits,  fall  asleep  and 
finally  plunge  into  the  ocean  below.  They  are  sometimes 
caught  by  the  use  of  the  lasso,  which  has  to  be  held  by 
half  a dozen  men,  or  quickly  fastened  to  a projecting  rock, 
or  the  seal  would  surely  get  away. 

The  wild  birds  which  breed  on  these  desolate  islands 
are  gulls,  murres,  shags,  and  sea-parrots,  the  last  a kind  of 
penguin.  For  many  years  a company  has  gathered  from 
these  islands  the  eggs  of  the  murre,  the  season  lasting 
from  the  middle  of  May  until  the  last  of  July.  About 
twenty  men  are  employed  in  this  work,  living  on  the 
island  during  the  time  in  rude  shanties  near  the  usual 
landing-place.  The  eggs  are  laid  in  the  most  inaccessible 
places,  and  the  eggers  are  obliged  to  climb  to  points  which 
a goat  would  hesitate  about  approaching.  The  egger  can- 
not carry  a basket,  but  puts  the  eggs  into  his  shirt-bosom, 
and  when  he  has  collected  a sufficient  number  he  takes 
them  down  the  cliff  to  some  place  of  deposit,  where  they 
can  be  put  in  baskets,  and  subsequently  taken  to  the  regu- 
lar receiving-house  near  the  shore.  These  eggs  are  largely 
used  in  San  Francisco  by  the  restaurants  and  by  bakers  for 
omelets,  cakes,  and  custards.  In  the  early  days  of  Cali- 
fornia, when  provisions  were  high-priced,  the  egg  gatherers 
were  very  lucky.  Once,  in  1853,  a boat  absent  but  three 
days  brought  in  one  thousand  dozen,  and  sold  the  whole 
cargo  at  a dollar  a dozen  ; and  in  one  season  thirty  thou- 


84 


California  and  Alaska. 


sand  dozen  were  gathered,  and  brought  an  average  of  but 
little  less  than  this  price. 

On  our  return  we  reached  San  Francisco  about  half- 
past twelve,  going  to  the  Palace  Hotel  for  lunch  ; then 
went  to  Oakland  with  Mrs,  Webb,  where  the  train  had 
been  taken  on  a transport.  We  remained  there  until 
evening,  taking  on  a large  supply  of  groceries,  the  first 
since  we  had  left  New  York.  Our  cars  were  put  on  the 
end  of  a regular  train,  this  being  the  first  time  that  we 
did  not  run  special.  The  transport  Solano,  that  took  us 
across  to  Sacramento,  is  capable  of  holding  fifty-two  freight 
cars  and  four  engines.  It  is  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
long,  sixty-four  feet  wide,  and  has  four  tracks.  This  is 
probably  the  widest  vessel  afloat ; her  extreme  width  over 
guards  is  one  hundred  and  sixteen  feet,  and  she  has  four 
paddle-wheels,  each  thirty  feet  in  diameter. 

Mr.  Towne  came  over  to  see  us  off,  and  we  found  it 
difficult  to  express  our  thanks  and  gratitude  for  the  kind 
and  considerate  manner  in  which  he  and  his  people  had 
treated  us  since  we  had  been  on  their  line.  It  would  be 
a most  difficult  task  for  us  to  find  a way  to  repay  this 
gentleman  for  the  courteous,  thoughtful,  and  generous 
treatment  we  had  received  at  his  hands. 


i 


CHAPTER  XII. 

SAN  FRANCISCO:  THE  CHINESE  QUARTER. 

The  evening  of  Wednesday  the  first  of  May  was 
spent  by  the  gentlemen  of  the  party  in  a visit  to 
the  famous  Chinese  quarter  of  San  Francisco. 
We  were  accompanied  by  our  detective,  and  on  this 
occasion  saw  more  dirt,  filth,  and  degradation  than  we 
imagined  could  exist  in  any  city  in  the  United  States. 

The  Chinese  quarter  of  San  Francisco  lies  principally 
in  Dupont  and  Jackson  streets,  and  within  a stone’s  throw 
of  the  fashionable  thoroughfare  around  Kearney  Street, 
which  was  bright  and  crowded  on  the  night  we  made  our 
excursion,  its  gay  shops  all  ablaze  with  lights.  Individu- 
ally the  Chinaman  may  be  clean  ; collectively  he  is  just  the 
opposite.  The  Chinese  cook  keeps  his  coppers  and  pans 
clean  and  bright,  washes  his  hands  frequently  while  pursu- 
ing his  vocation,  but  go  to  his  home  and  you  will  find 
him  living  in  a state  of  squalor  and  dirt  which  is  truly 
shocking.  Fifteen  or  twenty  Chinamen  will  live,  sleep, 
and  cook  in  a hovel  or  cellar  twelve  feet  square,  having 
only  a door  for  the  purpose  of  admitting  light  and  air. 
When  the  occupants  are  not  cooking  they  are  lying  in 

8s 


86 


Calif 01'nia  and  Alaska. 


their  rude  bunks  on  the  side  of  the  apartment,  either 
sleeping  or  smoking  opium.  The  boarding-houses  estab- 
lished by  the  Chinese  Companies  soon  become  grimy  and 
dirt-encrusted  from  cellar  to  roof.  The  Chinamen  will 
live  under  the  sidewalks,  under  staircases,  in  cramped 
bunks,  and  on  rickety  platforms,  and  when  a building  has 
once  been  occupied  by  Chinese,  it  must  always  remain  a 
pest-hole  or  be  torn  down. 

The  Chinese  seem  to  have  a particular  affinity  for 
subterranean  dwellings.  You  go  down  a ladder-like 
staircase  into  a cellar,  where  you  might  expect  to  find  coal 
or  barrels  stowed  away,  and,  lo  and  behold,  you  are  stand- 
ing in  a barber-shop.  You  pass  farther  along  and  find  your- 
self in  an  underground  pawnbroker’s,  the  apartment  very 
close  and  stuffy,  and  dimly  lit  by  a feeble  flaring  lamp. 
The  shop  is  crammed  with  every  possible  object  on  which 
a dollar  can  be  raised.  In  one  corner  there  is  a heap  of 
old  clothes  ; there  are  clocks,  and  an  assortment  of  pistols 
and  knives  of  all  sorts,  from  the  pocket  penknife  to  a pair 
of  murderous-looking  blades  which  seem  especially  adapted 
for  literally  slicing  a man  to  pieces. 

Beyond  this  pawnbroker’s  shop  you  will  find  an  apart- 
ment dark,  unventilated,  and  very  much  like  the  steerage 
cabin  of  an  emigrant  steamer.  There  are  wooden  shelves, 
or  bunks,  on  the  sides  of  the  wall,  screened  by  ragged 
curtains.  In  each  bunk  there  is  a Chinaman,  who  is 
smoking  his  pipe  of  opium.  He  will  take  a pinch  of  the 
dark,  jelly-like  substance  on  a wire,  melt  it  over  a little 
lamp  with  which  he  is  provided,  then  smear  it  over  the 
aperture  in  the  pipe,  and  draw  it  with  great,  deep  breaths 


87 


Sail  Francisco. 

into  his  lungs.  Many  Chinamen  literally  live  in  these 
dens.  They  pay  so  much  rent  for  their  bunk,  in  which 
they  keep  their  few  worldly  possessions,  and  do  their 
simple  cooking  in  a little  court  outside  of  the  building. 
Others  work  part  of  the  day,  and  stay  at  the  opium  den 
at  night.  The  opium  pipe  consists  of  a straight  or  slightly 
curved  stem  about  eighteen  inches  long,  with  a bowl 
three  inches  round,  in  the  centre  of  which  is  a small 
circular  hole.  This  leads  to  a smaller  reservoir  in  the 
centre  of  the  bowl,  and  a channel  runs  from  this  to  the 
end  of  the  pipe,  which  the  smoker  places  in  his  mouth. 

The  great  aim  of  Mongolian  existence,  judging  from 
what  we  saw,  seems  to  be  to  get  the  largest  number  of 
liuman  beings  into  the  least  possible  space.  The  Chinese 
seem  to  herd  together,  to  go  in  droves,  and  it  would  seem 
almost  impossible  that  there  should  be  a Chinese  hermit. 
In  this  quarter  of  the  town  there  are  long,  narrow,  black 
alleys,  so  black  that  one  has  to  grope  his  way,  so  narrow 
that  the  party  must  walk  in  single  file,  and  so  long  that 
when  you  get  to  the  end  of  them  it  seems  as  if  you  were 
miles  away  from  the  (iolden  City.  You  go  through  room 
after  room,  burrow  your  way  along  narrow  passages, 
under  low  rafters,  and  over  slippery  and  shaky  floors. 
You  see  nothing  but  dirt  and  rags  and  squalor,  and  the 
sickly  odor  of  opium  permeates  every  apartment. 

There  are  about  ten  heathen  temples,  or  Joss-houses, 
in  San  Francisco,  and  some  of  them  are  fitted  up  with 
considerable  splendor.  The  most  noted  was  fitted  up  by 
a distinguished  Chinese  physician,  a resident  of  the  city. 
The  temples  are  usually  in  alleys,  the  best  one  being  in 


88 


California  and  Alaska. 


the  third  story  of  a brick  building,  and  in  each  apartment 
there  are  a dozen  or  more  gods  and  goddesses,  represent- 
ing persons  who  have  once  lived  and  performed  some 
good  deed  for  which  they  have  been  deified.  There  is  a 
gong  placed  near  the  deities  ; also  an  oven.  In  the  oven 
gifts  and  written  representations  of  prayer,  which  are 
bought  of  the  priest  near  by,  are  thrown,  and  as  they 
burn  the  gong  sounds  to  call  the  attention  of  the  spirits 
who  are  to  receive  them  to  the  offerings  made.  The 
deities  represent  different  qualities.  Joss  being  the  su- 
preme deity.  There  is  a god  of  War,  and  there  is  a 
goddess  of  Mercy.  The  latter  image  was  brought  from 
China  by  the  physician  above  referred  to,  and  cost  eight 
thousand  dollars.  The  story  about  her  is  this  : She  was  a 
fine  young  woman,  and  in  order  to  escape  a disagreeable 
marriage  went  to  the  house  of  a religious  sisterhood.  Her 
father  burned  the  buildings,  but  her  prayers  saved  the 
occupants.  Her  mission  in  the  other  world  is  to  look 
after  the  souls  of  those  who  have  no  friends  here,  or 
who  have  friends  that  are  unmindful  and  negligent.  One 
image  represents  a wretched-looking  being  who  has  lost 
his  soul  through  the  commission  of  some  great  crime 
in  this  life.  He  is  constantly  in  pursuit  of  this  lost  soul, 
sometimes  in  the  act  of  grasping  it,  when  it  eludes  him, 
and  he  is  constantly  obliged  to  keep  up  his  restless 
search.  The  Chinese  have  no  regular  hours  of  worship, 
but  come  and  go  in  the  temples  at  all  times  ; they  bow 
before  the  images  in  a perfunctory  manner,  and  their 
worship  seems  to  be  as  apathetic  as  their  general  de- 
meanor, Most  of  these  Joss-houses  are  dingy  and  carpet- 
less, with  tables  cov'ered  with  handsome  vases,  candlesticks. 


r 


San  Fi'ancisco.  89 

and  other  offerings  ; panels  of  rare  and  curious  carving  in 
has  relief,  protected  by  a grating  ; tinsel,  trays  of  Joss- 
sticks,  incense,  and  the  gong,  which  gives  forth  a deep, 
sepulchral  toll. 

The  Chinese  are  inveterate  gamblers,  and  the  en- 
trances to  their  gambling  dens  are  guarded  by  two  or 
three  quiet-faced  old  Chinamen,  who  sit  on  little  stools  a 
few  feet  back  from  the  sidewalk.  These  places  are  easily 
entered  by  the  patrons  of  the  establishment,  but  should  an 
unknown  visitor,  or  officer,  come  to  them,  and  give  rise  to 
the  suspicion  that  a raid  was  going  to  be  made  upon  the 
place,  the  old  man  at  the  door  would  pull  a bell,  and  such 
a proceeding  would  be  made  impossible  ; for  the  moment 
the  bell  is  pulled  a big  door,  six  inches  thick,  with  heavy 
crossbars  of  wood  and  iron,  is  closed  at  the  farther  end  of 
the  hall.  If  this  door  should  be  passed,  the  intruders 
would  find  themselves  in  a maze,  with  heavy,  barricaded 
doors  at  every  angle,  each  one  supplied  with  ingenious 
mechanical  contrivances  which  will  bolt  and  bar  them. 
The  tinkle  of  the  bell  also  warns  the  gamblers,  who  fly 
out  at  rear  exits,  or  up  to  the  roof.  That  these  con- 
trivances for  protection  from  interference  are  very  in- 
genious, is  illustrated  by  the  fact  that,  on  one  occasion, 
while  a certain  wonderfully  active  and  efficient  officer  was 
hotly  pursuing  the  Mongolians  in  one  of  these  winding 
passages,  he  suddenly  found  himself  hauled  up  to  the 
ceiling,  with  his  neck  in  a noose,  and  there  he  dangled 
until  he  was  cut  down  by  his  brother  officers. 

The  gambling  game  which  the  Chinese  indulge  in  is 
called  “ tan.”  It  is  a simple  banking  game,  and  played  by 

rapidly  dividing  a number  of  buttons  into  three  or  four 

12 


90 


California  and  Alaska. 


heaps,  the  betting  being  whether  the  heaps  contain  an  odd 
or  an  even  number.  There  is  also  a Chinese  lottery  which, 
in  some  respects,  resembles  the  game  of  “ policy,”  played 
so  extensively  by  the  colored  population  of  our  large 
Eastern  cities.  On  each  ticket  eighty  Chinese  numbers 
are  printed.  The  buyer  is  allowed  to  cross  out  five  or 
more  of  these  numbers,  and  if  any  or  all  of  them  when 
drawn  are  found  to  be  prizes,  the  money  called  for  is  paid. 
The  drawings  take  place  twice  a day,  and  the  prizes  are 
five,  varying  from  twenty-five  cents  to  one  hundred  dol- 
lars. The  price  of  the  tickets  is  from  ten  cents  to  one 
dollar. 

Chinamen  have  many  fights  and  quarrels  among  them- 
selves, growing  out  of  personal  jealousies  and  rivalry. 
These  may  not  be  so  common  at  the  present  time,  but 
only  a few  years  ago  assassination  was  recognized  as  a 
legitimate  means  of  settling  a difficulty,  and  such  placards 
as  the  following,  offering  rewards  for  the  removal  of  any 
disagreeable  individual,  were  not  at  all  uncommon  : 

“ The  members  of  the  Wing  Ye  Tong  Society  offer  a reward,  on 
account  of  Cheung  Sam’s  shoe  factory  violating  our  rule. 

“ Consequently,  our  society  discontinued  work. 

“ Unless  they  comply  with  our  rules  again,  w'e  will  not  work. 

“ Some  of  our  workmen  secretly  commenced  to  work  for  them. 

“ We  will  offer  $300.  to  any  able  man  for  taking  the  life  of  one  of 
those  men  who  secretly  commenced  to  work,  and  $500.  for  the  killing 
of  Sam  Lee. 

“ We  write  this  notice  and  seal  by  us  for  certainty. 

“ The  reign  of  Quong  Chue,  in  the  second  year.  The  fourth  of 
Chinese  February.  “ Wing  Ye  Tong.” 

Chinese  assaults  were  quite  common  a few  years  ago, 
so  common  indeed,  that  the  local  newspapers  made  mere 


San  Francisco. 


91 


items  of  the  occurrences,  though  some  of  the  difficulties 
were  what  we  would  call  of  a very  grave  character.  A 
captain  of  police,  hearing  a disturbance,  once  went  into  one 
of  the  narrow  alleys  to  see  what  was  the  trouble.  He  found 
there  a Chinaman  on  the  ground  holding  up  his  hands  to 
shield  his  face.  Another  Chinaman  was  standing  over 
him,  a knife  in  each  hand,  slashing  away  as  hard  as  he 
could.  The  fingers  of  the  unfortunate  victim  were  rapidly 
being  hacked  to  pieces,  the  side  of  his  face  was  a bubbling 
fountain  of  blood,  his  scalp  was  laid  bare,  and  his  nose  cut 
to  pieces.  The  would-be  murderer  was  arrested,  and  sen- 
tenced to  ten  years  in  State-prison,  and  died  there  before 
his  term  expired  ; his  victim  recovered  with  three  fingers 
and  a half,  one  third  of  a nose,  a forehead  divided  in  two 
by  a red  scar,  and  his  head  drawn  to  one  side  from 
the  effect  of  blood-letting. 

The  Chinese  theatre  is  one  of  the  institutions  of 
China  Town.  It  will  seat  nearly  a thousand  people,  and 
has  a pit,  gallery,  and  boxes.  The  men  sit  in  one  part  of 
the  building  wearing  their  hats,  and  women  are  allowed 
the  privilege  of  attending  on  holidays,  when  the  gallery  is 
reserved  for  them.  The  doors  of  the  theatre  are  opened 
at  seven  o’clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  performance 
begins  soon  after,  and  continues  until  eleven  o’clock 
at  night,  with  the  exception  of  an  intermission  at  noon  for 
dinner,  and  a couple  of  hours,  from  five  to  seven  o’clock,  in 
the  evening.  There  is  no  curtain,  no  scenery,  and  the 
play  is  not  divided  into  acts  and  scenes.  When  a man  is 
killed,  he  remains  dead  upon  the  stage  for  a reasonable 
period,  until  he  gets  tired  of  his  horizontal  position,  when 


92 


California  and  Alaska. 


he  gets  up,  and  quietly  walks  off  the  stage.  The  orches- 
tra, consisting  of  a row  of  men,  sit  on  the  rear  of  the  stage 
just  back  of  the  performers,  and  play  gongs,  cymbals,  and 
other  loud-sounding  instruments  dear  to  the  Chinese 
heart.  Women  do  not  take  part  in  the  performance, 
female  characters  being  taken  by  men.  Historical  plays 
usually  last  about  six  months,  being  continued  from  night 
to  night  until  they  are  concluded. 

Nearly  all  kinds  of  business  are  represented  in  China 
Town,  from  the  broker  to  the  butcher,  from  the  cobbler  to 
the  commission-merchant,  from  the  tea-dealer  to  the  thief, 
and  from  the  goldsmith  to  the  gambler.  Many  of  the 
Chinese  are  cigar-makers  and  make  a cheap  and  nasty 
quality  of  cigars.  Many  are  engaged  in  boot-  and  shoe- 
making. A large  number  keep  shops  for  the  sale  of  pork. 
They  are  excellent  fishermen.  They  work  on  the  moun- 
tain roads  and  on  new  railways.  They  are  employed 
in  the  sunny  vineyards  of  Sonoma,  and  clear  snow-drifts 
from  the  great  trans-continental  highways.  They  have 
established  wood-yards  in  San  Francisco,  and  with  baskets 
tied  upon  each  end  of  a pole,  which  they  carry  on  their 
shoulders,  they  peddle  vegetables  in  certain  parts  of  the 
city.  They  manage  to  acquire  a sufficient  knowledge  of 
English  to  carry  on  business  intercourse,  but  their  “ pigeon 
English  ” is  very  grotesque  and  amusing.  Here  is  a speci- 
men,— a “ pigeon  English  ” rendering  of  the  first  three 
lines  of  “ My  name  is  Norval.” 

My  namee  being  Norval  topside  that  Glampian  Hillee, 

My  father  you  sabee  my  father,  makee  pay  chow-chow  he  sheep. 

He  smallo  heartee  man,  too  muchee  take  care  that  dolla,  gallo  ? 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


NORTHERN  CALIFORNIA  AND  MOUNT  SHASTA. 


far-famed  Shasta  Range,  the  scenery  growing  grander  as 
we  ascended  the  mountain  gorge.  The  railroad  crossed 
and  re-crossed  the  Sacramento  River  eighteen  times  in 

o 

seventy-eight  miles.  The  forest  was  very  dense,  and  the 
trees  tall  and  large.  On  this  particular  morning,  we 
stopped  our  train  soon  after  breakfast,  just  as  we  were 
crossing  a beautiful  stream  that  emptied  into  the  Sacra- 
mento, a short  distance  above  Morley.  Some  of  the  party 
tried  their  luck  at  fishing,  but  we  were  not  able  to  remain 
long,  as  we  were  afraid  we  might  be  overtaken  by  the 
Portland  express,  which  was  behind  us  at  Redding ; as 
it  was,  our  rear  brakeman  ran  up  to  us  and  said  that 
the  train  was  coming  up  the  mountain.  Our  engineer 
had  blown  three  whistles  to  call  the  party  in,  and  before 
we  could  get  away  the  express  was  waiting  behind  us, 
panting,  as  if  with  impatience,  to  climb  the  steep  grade 
just  ahead.  At  Soda  Springs,  a short  distance  above 


N the  morning  of  May  4th,  after  leaving  Redding, 
to  which  point  we  had  now  arrived,  we  gradu- 
ally entered  the  mountains  and  approached  the 


93 


94 


California  and  Alaska. 


Dunsmuir,  there  is  an  excellent  hotel  where  parties  can 
stop  over  and  get  good  fishing.  From  Upper  Soda  we 
passed  through  a wild  canyon,  over  trestles,  the  road  wind- 
ing in  a zigzag  course  up  the  mountain.  At  one  point 
we  could  look  down  the  great  declivity  and  see  three  sep- 
arate sections  of  the  road  on  the  side  of  the  mountain, 
one  below  the  other.  From  Upper  Soda,  where  we  left 
the  Sacramento,  it  is  not  a halfia  mile  by  the  path  up  the 
mountain  to  McCloud,  but  by  the  railroad  it  is  eight 
miles.  At  this  point  we  stopped  our  train,  got  out,  and 
going  to  the  edge  of  the  mountain  we  could  look  down 
and  see  the  day-express  train  winding  its  way  up  the 
acclivity  some  seven  hundred  feet  below.  McCloud  is  a 
lumber  town,  filled  with  logs  and  saw-mills.  In  its  imme- 
diate vicinity  is  the  McCloud  River,  which  is  famous  for 
the  size  and  quality  of  its  trout. 

At  Sisson,  situated  in  the  Strawberry  Valley,  a few 
miles  beyond  McCloud,  we  stopped  and  had  a fine  sight 
of  Mount  Shasta,  a picture  of  which  is  given  herewith. 
This  mountain  is  not  only  the  most  striking  topographi- 
cal feature  of  Northern  California,  but  the  largest  and 
grandest  peak  of  the  Cascade  and  Sierra  Nevada  ranges. 
It  stands  alone  at  the  southern  end  of  Shasta  Valley.  In 
approaching  it  from  the  north  and  south  there  is  a grad- 
ual increase  in  the  elevation  of  the  country  for  about 
fifty  miles  ; the  region  near  the  base  itself  thus  attains 
an  altitude  of  three  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea.  The  mountain  itself  is  fourteen  thousand  five 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea  level.  The  ascent  may  be 
accomplished,  in  a favorable  season,  without  much  danger 


Mount  Shasta,  from  Sissoji. 


CaJi/hrnui  ti>ui  A/askef. 


r-'b 


jj 


I 


•I 


r 


'C 


f ' 


jfc" 


'* 


b\'.' 


&.• 


^riuj  hoteirwhcre  partMf^ 

’*'  ■ , * V, 

i<!tjij- w ? ,|rt  fi’sMng,  l-rom  upper  Soaa 

M over  ireslk*.  tbc  road-win«l-^ 

..  v)(|.  «p’rtic  raountkin,'  o»ic  poiiit 

U>«r  . great  <leclivIty“arKi  see  throe  sep; 

Ars.  road  on  the  side  of  the  niountai5b_^ 

t.v»«T  «mKer.  <Frorai'Upper  Soda,  where  wft  Ic^ 

^ * t ’ 

Jl  is  not  a half  a mile  by  the  path  up  the 
mumtmm  % McCloud,  but  by  the  railroad  it  is  eig^ 
fttiWA  ibi*  point  wc  stopped  our  train,  got  out,’ and 

griing  fv  tk'*  #4gf«  'of  the  mountain  we  could  look  dow»>.  r 
tfi4  iOr  the  <h|y<JtpfW.s  t^rain  winding  its  way  up  ih^ 

feet  below.  1’  McCloud  is  a^- 
and  aaw-mills.  In  its  irnmev 
1^1  she  McCloud  River,  which  is  famous  for 

t'/  ;;35 

> siruated  m tl^  Strawberry  Valley,  a f«?w 

rrdl<ft!t  •/'vaod  McCloud,  we  stof^ed  and  had  a fine  sight  s 
-M  M-  ant  Shtista,  . a picture  of  which  is  given  hcrewicR Vv 
-irfvQntain  is  not  only  the  most  striking,  topog^a{^|^l^^ 
uaj*  of  Northern  California,  but  the  largest  and 

peak  of  the  Cascade  and^Sierra  Nevada  rang^e$r 
' lt'H*n»,iit»iri  tUone  at  the  southern  end  of  Shasta  Valley,  In 
uf^oa^hlog -it  fronj  the  north  and  south  there  is  a grad-  ‘ 
j waT  U»  lea/ie  in  the  elevation  of  the’ country'  for  about 
fi$tY  *,  the  region  n^r  the  basedtself  thus  attaiiBk  ''; 
/n  aJf  tKjk  three  thousand  five  hundred  feet  abovi' 
di«  jiw^  .:Th*"  mountain  itself  is  fourteen  thousand  fiA*c 
Windred'  ^ «»»ove  the  Sea  level.'  The  ascent  may  h** 
ai’corni3(s1ve^  In  'i,  favorable  seaTOn,  vrithout  much  danget 

« .'IV  f 


I*'- 


«r 


I 


> 


95 


Northern  California. 

or  difficulty,  by  stout  resolute  men.  The  extreme  exhaus- 
tion realized  in  ascending  mountains  like  Blanc  or  the  Mat- 
terhorn is  not  experienced  ; nor  is  the  trial  so  dangerous, 
by  reason  of  huge  fissures  and  icy  chasms  ; the  main  diffi- 
culty arises  from  the  rarefied  condition  of  the  air,  to  which 
the  system  must  adapt  itself  rather  suddenly  for  comfort. 
The  ascent  is  frequently  made  by  parties  who  stop  at  Sis- 
son and  take  two  days  for  the  trip,  going  on  horseback  to 
Sisson  Camp,  and  the  next  morning  on  foot  to  the  sum- 
mit. Sisson  Camp  is  just  on  the  edge  of  the  timber  line. 
Parties  go  there,  and  remain  for  weeks  at  a time,  making 
hunting  excursions  into  the  woods  and  remaining  away 
for  three  or  four  days.  The  hunting  in  this  vicinity  is 
said  to  equal  any  that  can  be  found  on  the  coast  from 
Portland  to  San  Francisco,  and  the  fishing  is  without  a 
parallel.  This  region  is,  in  fact,  a hunter’s  paradise : 
grizzly,  black,  and  cinnamon  bears  are  found  without 
number  ; elk  and  mountain  sheep  tempt  the  skill  of  the 
venturesome  sportsman  ; antelope  are  sometimes  seen  on 
the  foot-hills  ; while  deer  of  all  varieties,  especially  the  mule 
and  black-tail,  are  in  such  abundance  as  scarcely  to  be 
sought  after. 

The  view  of  the  mountain  from  Shasta  Plains  is  very 
grand.  With  no  intervening  mountains  to  obstruct  the 
prospect,  the  base  is  seen  resting  among  dense  evergreen 
forests  ; higher  up,  it  is  girdled  with  hardy  plants  and 
shrubs  to  the  region  of  frosts,  and  thence  the  sheeting 
snow.  During  some  seasons  the  great  monarch  seems  to 
retire  to  gloomy  solitudes  and  sits  a storm  king  upon  the 
clouds,  invisible  to  mortal  eye. 


96 


California  and  Alaska. 


A well-known  writer,  Clarence  King,  who  made  the 
ascent  of  Shasta,  thus  relates  one  of  his  experiences  : 
“ From  a point  about  midway  across  where  I had  climbed 
and  rested  upon  the  brink  of  an  ice-cliff,  the  glacier  below 
me  breaking  off  into  its  wild  pile  of  cascade  blocks  and 
serac,  I looked  down  over  all  the  lower  flow,  broken  with 
billowy  upheavals,  and  bright  with  bristling  spires  of  sun- 
lit ice.  Upon  the  right  rose  the  great  cone  of  Shasta, 
formed  of  chocolate-colored  lavas,  its  sky-line  a single 
curved  sweep  of  snow  cut  sharply  against  a deep-blue  sky. 
To  the  left,  the  precipices  of  the  lesser  cone  rose  to  the 
altitude  of  twelve  thousand  feet,  their  surfaces  half-jagged 
ledges  of  lava,  and  half  irregular  sheets  of  ice.  From  my 
feet  the  glacier  sank  rapidly  between  volcanic  walls,  and 
the  shadow  of  the  lesser  cone  fell  in  a dark  band  across 
the  brilliantly  lighted  surface.  Looking  down  its  course, 
my  eye  ranged  over  sunny  and  shadowed  zones  of  ice,  over 
the  gray-boulder  region  of  the  terminal  moraine ; still 
lower,  along  the  former  track  of  ancient  and  grander 
glaciers,  and  down  upon  undulating  pine-clad  foot-hills 
descending  in  green  steps,  and  reaching  out  like  promon- 
tories into  the  sea  of  plain  which  lay  outspread  nine 
thousand  feet  below,  basking  in  the  half-tropical  sunshine, 
its  checkered  green  fields  and  orchards  ripening  their 
wheat  and  figs.” 

In  the  forests  around  Mount  Shasta  are  found  the 
maple,  evergreen  oak,  and  several  varieties  of  pine,  includ- 
ing the  spruce,  the  cedar,  and  the  fir.  Chief  among  them 
all  for  symmetry  and  perfection  of  figure  is  the  majestic 
sugar-pine,  nearly  equalling  the  red-wood  in  size,  and 


Northern  California. 


97 


excelled  by  none  as  a beautiful  forest-tree.  The  Sacra- 
mento River  rises  far  up  on  the  southwestern  slope  of 
the  mountain,  far  above  vegetation  and  the  timber  line, 
and  almost  amid  eternal  snow.  The  McCloud,  its  prin- 
cipal tributary,  rises  on  the  eastern  slope. 

After  leaving  Sisson,  we  travelled  through  the  beautiful 
Shasta  Valley,  later  in  the  day  ascending  the  Siskiyou 
Mountains  just  before  crossing  into  Oregon.  This  part  of 
our  journey  was  exceedingly  interesting.  At  the  foot  of 
the  grade  we  attached  to  our  train  of  four  cars  two  large 
consolidated  engines.  In  the  distance  we  could  see  the 
road  winding  up  the  mountain.  At  the  top  of  the  ascent, 
ten  miles  before  we  came  to  it,  we  saw  the  entrance  to  a 
tunnel  which  is  four  thousand  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
in  length,  and  which  our  train  subsequently  passed  through. 
The  grade  up  the  mountain  was  nearly  two  hundred  feet 
to  the  mile.  After  passing  through  the  tunnel  we  came 
to  Siskiyou,  the  highest  point  on  the  road.  The  view 
from  this  point  was  grand  in  the  extreme.  Looking  down 
into  the  valley  below  we  could  easily  distinguish  the  rail- 
road wending  its  way  northward,  and  it  seemed  incredible 
to  us  that  our  train  would  also  soon  be  in  the  same 
position.  To  the  right  and  east  the  Cascade  Mountain, 
extending  fully  four  hundred  miles  to  the  north,  loomed 
up  into  view.  The  grade  on  the  north  side  of  the  Siski- 
you Mountains  we  found  more  tortuous  and  much  steeper 
than  on  the  south  side,  and  at  certain  places  our  train  had 
to  go  vei*y  slowly,  lest  our  cars,  being  unusually  long, 
should  strike  the  sides  of  the  mountain.  In  making  our 

descent  we  were  obliged  to  cross  many  high  trestles,  to  go 

13 


98 


California  a7td  Alaska. 


through  three  tunnels,  and  the  road  so  twisted  and  turned 
that  we  could  scarcely  have  told  the  points  of  the  com- 
pass, much  less  the  locality  in  which  we  were,  if  we  had 
not  been  accompanied  by  the  superintendent  of  the 
division,  who  helped  us  to  a knowledge  of  our  surround- 
ings. When  we  reached  the  valley  the  scenery  was  of  a 
very  different  character.  We  had  rapidly  been  taken 
away  from  every  thing  that  pertained  to  a tropical  climate, 
and  the  rich  and  profuse  vegetation  for  which  California 
is  famous.  The  region  through  which  we  were  travelling 
reminded  us  very  much  of  what  we  were  accustomed  to 
see  in  the  East,  more  especially  the  pastoral  life  peculiar 
to  the  New  England  States.  It  was  noted,  too,  that  even 
the  trees  in  this  part  of  the  country  were  similar  to  those 
to  be  found  around  our  country  home  at  Shelburne,  Ver- 
mont, and  very  different  from  the  varieties  we  had  met 
with  on  the  California  slope. 

Ashland  is  the  terminus  of  the  Southern  Pacific  road  ; 
it  is  four  hundred  and  thirty-one  miles  from  San  Erancisco. 
At  this  point  we  changed  engines,  and  travelled  over  the 
Oregon  and  California  Railroad,  a line  leased  by  the 
Southern  Pacific.  During  the  afternoon  we  stopped  in 
the  Shasta  Valley  and  tried  our  luck  at  fishing  in  a pretty 
stream  which,  as  we  crossed  it,  looked  as  though  it  would 
give  us  some  sport.  The  train  was  sent  on  about  five 
miles  ahead  to  a siding,  with  instructions  to  return  for  us 
in  about  two  hours.  Our  party  got  out  of  the  cars  and 
fished,  but  succeeded  in  capturing  only  a few  of  the  finny 
tribe.  Shortly  after  breakfast  on  this  particular  morning 
the  following  telegram  was  delivered  to  us  ; it  will  serve 


iV or  them  Cal iforn  ia . 99 

to  indicate,  in  some  small  degree  at  least,  the  generous 
and  thousjhtful  treatment  we  received  at  the  hands  of  the 
Southern  Pacific  Railroad  Company : 

“Z)/-.  W.  S.  Webb  and  party  ; 

“ Good-morning.  I hope  you  are  enjoying  yourselves  thoroughly. 
Do  not  fail  to  remember  that  I am  at  the  other  end  of  the  wire,  and 
call  upon  me  for  any  thing  you  want. 

“A.  Towne.” 

The  northern  part  of  California  is,  in  many  respects, 
one  of  the  most  interesting  portions  of  the  State  ; it  is 
particularly  adapted  to  sheep-grazing,  and  it  is  said  that 
there  are  not  a few  young  men  who  have  migrated  to  this 
part  of  the  State,  started  with  a few  sheep,  and  are  now 
wealthy.  Although  the  largest  flocks  of  sheep  are  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  State,  the  best  quality  of  wool  comes 
from  the  north.  Klamath,  Humboldt,  Trinity,  Tehama, 
Mendocino,  and  Yuba  counties,  where  no  sheep  formerly 
ranged,  now  send  the  best  wool.  A few  years  ago  all  the 
wool  was  sent  by  sailing  vessels  round  Cape  Horn  to 
New  York  and  England.  When  the  Pacific  Mail  Steam- 
ship Company  increased  their  carrying  facilities,  at  the 
same  time  reducing  their  rates  of  freight,  it  was  sent  by 
way  of  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  At  the  present  time 
nearly  all  the  wool  goes  by  the  Central  Pacific  Railroad. 

.Some  enterprising  sheep-grazers  in  the  Sacramento 
Valley  own  a range  in  the  foot-hills,  and  another  on  the 
bottom  lands.  During  the  summer  the  sheep  are  kept  in 
the  bottoms,  which  are  then  dry,  and  full  of  rich  grasses  ; 
in  the  fall  and  winter  they  are  taken  to  the  uplands,  and 
there  they  lamb  and  are  shorn.  Sheep  are  sometimes 


lOO 


California  and  Alaska. 


driven  into  the  mountains,  where  they  have  green  grass 
all  summer,  and  it  is  not  unusual  to  see  groups  of  the  ani- 
mals crossing  the  Sacramento  without  a driver,  and  in  the 
fall  returning,  of  their  own  motion,  each  to  its  respective 
owner. 


jk 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MONTANA 

WE  arrived  at  Portland,  Oregon,  on  the  morning 
of  Sunday,  May  5th.  Mr.  Boothby,  of  the 
Pullman  Car  Company,  met  us  on  our  ar- 
rival, and  did  every  thing  in  his  power  to  make  our  stay 
pleasant  and  comfortable.  We  attended  the  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  drove  over 
the  town  and  through  the  park.  Portland  is  the  largest 
town  of  Oregon,  and  lies  on  the  banks  of  the  Willamette. 
We  noticed  that  Sunday  was  observed  with  much  greater 
strictness  than  in  most  towns  on  the  Pacific  coast.  Large 
trees  are  to  be  found  on  every  hand,  and  the  few  farms 
that  are  to  be  seen  must  have  been  cleared  at  very  great 
expense.  Portland  was  one  of  the  first  cities  to  be  settled 
on  the  northern  slope  of  the  Pacific  coast,  but  it  is  only 
within  the  last  few  years  that  it  has  grown  much  in  popu- 
lation ; most  of  the  immigration  has  been  towards  Tacoma, 
Seattle,  and  other  towns  farther  north.  The  valley  of  the 
Willamette  is  a most  fertile  region,  and  very  attractive  in 
its  natural  curiosities.  Many  remarkable  instances  are 
to  be  found  here  of  those  eccentric  mountain  formations 
known  as  beetlers — huge  conical,  isolated  hills. 


lOI 


102 


California  and  Alaska. 


We  arrived  at  Tacoma  about  midnight  on  the  5th,  and 
were  placed  on  a side-track.  It  is  evidently  a new  and 
certainly  not  a very  inviting-looking  city.  When  we  were 
there  the  streets  were  not  paved,  but  were  covered  hub- 
deep  with  mud.  The  sidewalks  had  a very  rough  and 
crude  appearance,  and  the  whole  settlement  looked  like  a 
frontier  town.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  however,  there 
had  been  such  a boom  in  real  estate  that  the  price  of  a 
twenty-five-foot  lot  with  a very  ordinary  building  on  it 
was  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  thousand  dollars.  Whittier 
may  have  had  such  Western  towns  in  view  when  he  wrote  : 

I hear  the  tread’ of  pioneers. 

Of  nations  yet  to  be— 

The  first  low  wash  of  waves 

Where  soon  shall  roll  a human  sea. 

Behind  the  squaw’s  light  birch  canoe 
The  steamer  smokes  and  raves. 

And  city  lots  are  staked  for  sale 
Above  old  Indian  graves. 

The  weather  was  cold  and  rainy  when  we  arrived  here, 
and  our  spirits  were  at  a very  low  ebb.  A call  was  made 
upon  the  General  Superintendent  of  the  Pacific  division  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  who  was  found  to  be  quite 
agreeable  though  very  busy,  and  unable  to  leave  his  office. 
He  at  once  made  arrangfements  to  have  us  leave  for  the 
East  over  his  road  as  soon  as  we  could  get  some  informa- 
tion we  wanted  in  regfard  to  the  fishingf  alongf  the  line. 
We  did  not  go  to  Seattle,  as  it  would  have  consumed 
another  day. 

We  stopped  at  the  foot  of  the  Cascade  Range  and 
fished  for  two  hours  without  success.  The  Superintendent 


Mount  Hood  From  Lost  Lake. 


= _-At  ^ 


7K 


'Ccfli/orkia  and  Alas^. 


.1- 


■T"'  JOJ 

Wr  wr^vAd  at  Taccvm*  fliWii  mMotj^lu 
w«?Tt  pl*fi»d_on  i-H  feviacmW  a n^  Ja 

- ih/*re  U>r*'’f»rfWt:’  ’''<'•15  ftttl  W^ci,  bm  wcreVi^!^  W ^ 
vrifb  wiclc^^lk#  had  A'^vcry  r^h^atH^ 

crt>^1ii  ?»\>a  ib«  settlement  looke<^lp%a 

{rooti>-  ?4atwii^jtpiicling;all  thiiJ,  ho^vevcr,  thew 

had  >w?n  *‘  >JOom  in^l-enl  estate j that  the  pric^V_3^ 
4^t<Mty-hv^  <«of  rot’Mmji  ^;ety  ordinal^ ' budding: 

#r<wTt  t wt^nty^'fl V©  tp  ^hijjy  thousand  dollars.  \VTtft; 

• € ^ tn  't^ir^tt/ Vio  ivr# 


miv  h-*ve  had  in  view  wh^^ 

--.’T V "'1^’’'.^  .<  * 

'"*  i t pjoKV«St^  • ■ ■ ^ ^ 


«.i»«YK,^'f>*i*‘  7**"''*  toU  ti  Unman  ^ 

vw -s,**!  HpUt  bitch 


V-?  't'.  > ' AUuv%i‘ ''vUJ 


'rhe  wcalb^W^U  etjtd  ii^nd,rain^4}vhen  we  w h*^ 
' ' aiul  otir  spirits  a .vccr  iow  ebb.  » A call  was  ma 

a^nn  lb's  Ge'n^.al  Swpctlnt^  the  Paqfic  dlvlsib 

a.  til  * Norti<ltni  Paditc  Railroadj^ho  was  found  to  be 
'1  ,>^ry  husy;;,an"d.unabk:^to  IcaA'c  hl^  < 

Vi,,  tjji,  mad<i  have  \is  leave /or 

i i*4 w^^^a  Tond;  as^sbqn  could  get-  somifr  »n/oi 


n/oni 


Cascade  Rangfe^ 
hsbed/or  two4«>tot^^^viUi(niv^^^^  The  S.up«^intciid<?nil 


Montana. 


103 


of  this  division  came  down  to  meet  us,  and  with  two  con- 
solidation engines,  each  having  ten  drivers,  took  us  over 
the  range  ; the  grade,  at  this  point,  being  one  hundred  and 
seventy-four  feet  to  the  mile'.  This  range  of  mountains 
includes  some  of  the  loftiest  peaks  in  the  United  States, 
among  which  are  Mount  Hood,  Mount  Jefferson,  and 
Mount  Pitt.  The  first  of  this  grand  trio  has  a volcanic 
crest  fourteen  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea ; 
on  its  northern  side  it  is  nearly  vertical  for  seven  thousand 
feet ; there  the  snows  of  winter  accumulate  till  they  reach 
the  very  summit,  but  when  the  summer  thaw  commences 
all  this  vast  body  of  snow  becomes  disintegrated  at  once, 
and,  in  a sweeping  avalanche,  buries  itself  in  the  deep 
furrows  at  its  base  and  leaves  the  precipice  bare. 

We  arrived  at  Spokane  P'alls  early  on  the  morning  of 
May  7th.  Dr.  Merriam,  to  whom  I had  telegraphed  from 
Tacoma,  met  us  on  our  arrival,  and  gave  us  some  informa- 
tion that  we  had  requested  about  the  fishing.  Spokane 
I'alls  is  a very  prosperous  town,  and  the  streets  are  well 
laid  out  and  planned  for  a city  of  some  thirty  or  forty 
thousand  inhabitants,  although  the  population  at  present 
is  less  than  half  the  first  estimate  mentioned.  This  is  the 
distributing  place  for  the  mines,  and  the  great  success 
which  is  just  now  attending  those  enterprises  is  likely  to 
materially  raise  the  price  of  real  estate. 

At  eleven  o’clock,  on  this  particular  morning,  we  went 
to  Hope,  on  Lake  Pend  d’Oreille.  This  is  a new  station 
and  a divisional  point  of  the  Northern  Pacific  ; as  the 
railroad  moved  its  round-houses  here  owing  to  the  water 
giving  out  at  the  former  terminus.  We  got  a boat  from 


104  California  and  Alaska. 

the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  and  Mrs.  Webb,  Dr. 
McLane,  and  the  writer  took  a sail  on  the  lake  ; the  other 
members  of  the  party  went  fishing  in  small  boats  and  had 
very  good  luck,  catching  trout  near  the  shore  weighing 
from  two  to  three  pounds.  This  lake  is  beautifully  en- 
circled by  mountains,  and  is  sixty  miles  long ; the  water 
is  from  five  hundred  to  eight  hundred  feet  deep.  There 
are  no  towns  near  it,  and  it  is  as  wild  a place  as  the  trav- 
eller will  seldom  see.  On  the  northern  bank  of  the  lake 
there  is  a very  small  place  called  Chloride,  where  the 
miners  stop  on  their  way  to  the  Chloride  Silver  Mines. 
Before  we  left  this  locality  for  Helena,  which  we  did  the 
next  evening  at  half-past  six,  the  boys  went  out  fishing 
again  and  returned  with  a very  good  catch. 

We  arrived  at  Helena  on  the  morning  of  May  9th. 
Mr.  Shelby,  the  General  Manager  of  the  Montana  Cen- 
tral (which  is  a part  of  the  Manitoba  system),  met  us  on 
our  arrival  and  took  us  over  his  road  to  Butte,  the  largest 
mining  city  in  the  world,  where  the  celebrated  Anaconda 
Silver  Mines  are  located.  After  lunch  we  took  carriages 
and  drove  around  the  city,  which  struck  us  as  being  a 
very  strange  town.  Half  of  the  population  worked  in  the 
mines  during  the  day,  and  the  other  half  during  the  night. 
The  liveliest  hours  of  the  day  were  twelve  o’clock  noon, 
and  at  midnight,  when  the  day  gangs  came  up  to  be  re- 
lieved by  the  night  workers. 

The  primitive  manner  of  gathering  gold  in  the  Mon- 
tana mines  is  rude  and  incomplete  enough.  In  all  the 
gulches,  at  depths  varying  from  six  to  fifty  feet,  is  a bed- 
rock of  the  same  general  conformation  as  the  surface. 


Montana. 


105 

Usually  this  is  granite ; but  sometimes  before  reaching  the 
primitive  rock  two  or  three  strata  of  pijie-clay — the  later 
beds  of  the  stream,  upon  which  frequently  lies  a deposit 
of  gold — are  passed.  Upon  the  bed-rock  is  a deposit 
from  three  to  four  feet  in  depth,  of  gravel  and  boulders, 
in  which  the  gold  is  hidden.  This  is  called  by  the  miner 
“pay-dirt,”  and  to  remove  it  to  the  surface  and  wash  it 
is  the  end  of  mining.  It  is  an  expensive  and  laborious 
process  indeed.  The  water  has  first  to  be  controlled  ; 
and  in  mines  of  not  too  great  depth  this  is  done  by  a 
drain  ditch  along  the  bed-rock,  commenced  many  claims 
below.  In  this  all  the  claim-holders  are  interested,  and 
all  contribute  their  quota  of  the  labor  and  expense  of  dig- 
ging it.  The  district  laws  permit  every  person  to  run 
such  a drain  through  all  the  claims  below  his  own,  and 
force  every  man  to  contribute  alike  towards  its  construc- 
tion, on  pain  of  not  being  allowed  to  use  the  water,  even 
though  it  flows  through  his  own  land.  The  water  con- 
trolled,  the  rest  is  mere  physical  labor,  which  only  bones 
and  sinews  of  iron  can  endure.  In  the  shallow  diggings 
the  superincumbent  earth  above  the  pay-dirt  is  removed, 
and  the  process  is  called  “ stripping.”  In  deep  diggings  a 
shaft  is  sunk  to  the  bed-rock,  and  tunnels  are  run  in  every 
direction,  and  this  is  called  “ drifting.”  The  roof  is  sup- 
ported by  strong  piles,  but  these  supports  too  frequently 
give  way,  and  hurry  the  poor  miners  to  untimely  deaths. 
The  pay-dirt,  in  whichever  way  obtained,  is  then  shov- 
elled into  the  sluice-boxes — a series  of  long  troughs  so 
made  as  to  prevent  the  gold  from  washing  past,  or  the 
dirt  from  settling  to  the  bottom.  The  gold  being  heavier 


io6 


California  and  Alaska. 


sinks  to  the  bottom  and  is  caught  by  cross-bars  called 
“ riffles”  ; in  the  lower  boxes  is  frequently  placed  quick- 
silver, with  which  the  lighter  particles  amalgamate.  Dur- 
ing the  washings  the  large  stones  and  boulders  are  re- 
moved by  a fork.  The  heavy  sand  and  iron  are  separated 
by  a careful  washing  by  hand  and  by  the  magnet. 

In  the  new  and  thinly  settled  countries  of  the  West 
many  ideas  have  always  been  expressed  by  figures  drawn 
from  the  pursuits  of  the  people.  Much  of  the  language 
of  the  Indians  is  expressed  by  signs.  So,  with  miners, 
their  conversation  is  full  of  expressions  peculiar  to  their 
vocation.  The  new  settler  is  called  a pilgrim  ” or  a “ ten- 
der-foot.” The  term  “ adobe,”  the  sun-dried  brick,  applied 
to  a man,  signifies  vealiness  and  verdancy.  A “ corral  ” 
is  an  enclosure  into  which  herds  are  gathered  ; hence  a 
person  who  has  every  thing  arranged  to  his  satisfaction 
announces  that  he  has  every  thing  “ corralled.”  A man 
fortunate  in  any  business  has  “ struck  the  pay-dirt  ” ; un- 
fortunate, has  “ reached  the  bed-rock.”  Every  thing 
viewed  in  the  aggregate,  as  a train,  a family,  or  a town,  is 
an  “ outfit.”  A miner  in  criticising  a certain  lawyer  in  his 
neighborhood — “ a great  blower,”  as  he  would  be  called  in 
the  East — said  expressively  : “ When  you  come  to  pan 
him  out,  you  don’t  find  color.” 

The  names  of  the  gulches  near  Helena  are  very  sug- 
gestive ; here  are  some  of  the  most  peculiar  ones  : Bean 

Gulch,  Bilk  Gulch,  Boomerang  Gulch,  Greenhorn  Gulch, 
Hell-Gate  Gulch,  Hail-Columbia  Gulch,  Hangman’s 
Gulch,  Hope  Gulch,  Ice-House  Gulch,  Last-Chance 
Gulch,  Lost-Horse  Gulch,  Magpie  Gulch,  New-York 


Prickly  Pear  Canyon,  Manitoba  R.  R. 


»o6  California  and  . 


sinks  to  ihc  bottom  and  . aught  by  < ri.'  dl«d 


‘•  nffles”  ; in  the  lower  > •>  i is  frequently  fib'  '-'  “;k. 

silver,  wilb  \%'hich  thr  particles  amalgamatt.  i 'ur- 


iiK-vod  by  a I'^'A  i he  heavy'  sand  and  iron  are  vf»aratcd 
by  a c.arefui  \\v<-ihing  by  hand  and  by  the  magnet. 

In  the  ' and  thinly  settled  countries  of  the  West 
many  ideas  Kav'e  always  been  expressed  by  figures  drawn 
from  til*;  pursuits  of  the  people.  Much  of  the  language 
..f  rhe  LKlIans  is  expressed  by  signs.  So,  with  miners,- 
thfjr  e< -i  efsation  is  full  of  expressions  pecxiliar  to  thdr 
. « u The  new  settler  is  called  a “ pilgrim  " or  a “ ten- 


losure  into  which  herds  are  gathered  ; hence  a 


i.:r. ■;  in  any  business  has  “ struck,  the  pay-dirt  ; un- 
Ntr  . «tv,  has  ‘*reache<i  the  bed-rock.”  Every  thing 


an  " A miner  in  criticising  a certain  lawxa-  his 

neigh' ..  M-hood— “ a great  blower,”  as  he  would  » • 'MUid  in 
1 ; >t  — said'  expressively  : “ When  you  com-^  to  pan 
him  ou^  you  don’t  find  color.” 

7'hc  .'iames  of  the  gulches  near  Helena  4<c  very  sug- 
gestive ; here  are  some  of  the  most  peculiaf  .mes:  Bean 

Gulch,  Bilk  Gulch,  Boomerang  Gulch,  ('•-xohom  t.ulch, 
HeO^ate  < iulch,  Hail-Columbia  Gulch,  H igman’s 
Gulch,  Hop-  Gulch,  Ice-House  Gulch.  1 . .t-Chance 
Gulch,  Lost-H  >rsc  Gulch.  Magpie  Gulch,  Nevv-York 


ing  ih«  wu:  king  ' ' large  stones  and  boulders  are,  rr.' 


. The  term  “ ad*»be.”  the  sun-dried  brick,  .it  plied 
signifies  vealincss  ami  verdancy.  A ' c ; riJ  ” 


VR  W._w 


in  the  aggregate,  as  a train,  a family,  or  a town,  is 


Montana. 


107 


Gulch,  Peter’s  Gulch,  Show-Down  Gulch,  and  Yankee 
Doodle  Gulch,  Helena  is  the  second  point  of  importance 
in  the  Territory.  Near  it  are  the  low  valleys  of  the  Mis- 
souri, which  are  rapidly  becoming  the  homes  of  thrifty 
farmers. 

In  regard  to  the  grazing  qualities  of  this  country, 
finer  grasses  have  never  anywhere  been  seen  than  between 
the  Columbia  and  the  Missouri  rivers.  Their  nutritive 
qualities  are  apparent  from  the  number  and  condition 
of  the  stock  that  feed  upon  them.  Wild  hay  is  cut 
from  thousands  of  acres.  The  grass  is  mostly  a wild 
bunch-grass,  growing  from  twelve  to  eighteen  inches 
high,  and  covering  the  entire  country.  Horses  and 
horned  stock  by  thousands,  and  sheep  by  the  hundreds, 
all  bespeak  the  wealth  that  is  wrapped  up  in  the  native 
grasses  of  this  region.  Years  ago  it  was  prophesied  that 
the  wealth  of  this  beautiful  region  would  eventually  con- 
sist of  thousands  of  fleecy  sheep  to  be  sheared ; the 
streams  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  themselves  might  be 
caught  and  harnessed  to  the  spindles  and  looms  of  wool 
manufactories  to  be  erected,  and  the  wool-trade  with  the 
St.  Louis  market  would  constitute  a trade  replete  with 
wealth  and  magnitude. 

The  city  was  started  by  a few  emigrants  from  Minne- 
sota, who  discovered  a gold  mine,  which,  for  several 
months,  they  worked  quietly,  amid  their  majestic  mountain 
scener)',  making  no  announcement  of  their  wealth.  In 
the  winter  of  1864  their  secret  became  known,  and  a 
heterogeneous  population  was  drawn  to  the  locality. 
Claims  advanced  in  price,  and  the  discoverers  reaped 


io8 


Califo7'nia  and  Alaska. 


fortunes.  A hundred  ravines  near  Helena  showed  gold, 
and  every  one  of  them  was  soon  claimed  from  mouth  to 
source.  The  first  settlement  made  here  was  called  Last- 
Chance  Gulch. 

The  years  1865  and  1866  were  those  of  the  greatest 
excitement  and  immigration  and  gold  production  in  the 
Territory.  In  the  latter  year,  probably  thirty-five  thousand 
people  were  there,  and  twelve  to  fifteen  millions  of  dollars 
were  taken  out,  mostly  from  the  sides  and  bottoms  of  the 
gulches.  Two  men  washed  out  a ton  of  gold,  and  from  a 
single  “ bar”  in  Confederate  Gulch  three  companies  took 
a million  and  a half  of  dollars’  worth. 

The  ranchman  finds  in  Helena  a good  market  for  his 
produce— butter,  eggs,  cattle,  horses,  sheep,  etc.  The 
majority  of  the  ranches  are  stocked  with  the  best,  and  it 
is  not  a matter  of  wonder  that  they  furnish  the  finest  veal, 
beef,  and  mutton  in  the  world.  It  is  a fact  that  cattle  are 
herded  during  the  winter  months,  and  on  the  approach  of 
spring  are  in  better  condition  and  fatter  than  cattle  in  the 
Eastern  .States  which  are  corn-fed  and  kept  stabled  during 
the  same  period.  The  same  remark  also  applies  to  horses 
and  mules.  Considering  the  newness  of  the  country  it  is 
well  supplied  with  produce.  Thousands  of  tons  of  hay 
are  put  up  every  season,  and  esculent  roots  are  raised  in 
prolific  quantities. 

We  left  Helena  on  the  evening  of  the  9th  of  May, 
passing  through  the  Prickly-Pear  Canyon  and  following 
the  Missouri  River.  The  road  crossed  and  recrossed  the 
old  stage  route  to  Helena,  which  was  abandoned  only  a 
few  years  ago. 


Prickly  Pear  Canyon,  Manitoba  R.  R, 


io8 


iiiid  Ala'ska.  ' ^ 


, uvJri-^!  »^av»n«is  pr  ,u  Hci<-...  ••,'  witd  d'old, 
m:  i'!  ihcar  w»»  soon  claimed  Iro.n  f nuvh  to 
‘■s  irrs?.  sei  viemcnt  made  here  was  called 


I 


irf-\  ajid  1866  were  those  , of  the  greatest 


V «fnmlgratIoa  and  gold  production  in  the 

1 c mwry.  1»j  ihe  latter  year,  probably  thirty-five  thousand 
; • sjple  werr  tl»cre,  and  twelve  to  fifteen  millions  of  dollars- 
wfM-e  taken  “nji,  mostly  from  the  sides  and  bottoms  of  the 
gulches.  Two  men  washed  out  a ton  of  gold,  and  from  a 
sinde  *•  bar  “ in  Confederate  Gulcli  three  companies  took 

o 

a miHion  ,uk1  a half  of  dollars’  worth.  ■;,  • t 

'Phe  ranchrui»A  find*  in.  Helena  a good  market  for  his 
eggr  cattle,  horses,  sheep,  etc.  The 
.quriiv  of  the  n*nche.s  are  stocked  with  the  best,  and  it 
J-.  I ’ matter  of  wonder  that  they  furnish  the  finest  veal, 

*roc;-'  during  the  winter  months,  and  on  the  approach  of 
spring  .^re  in  better  condition  and  fatter  than  cattle  iri  the 
Ka  TC'?  n States  which  are  corn-fed  and  kept  stabled  during 
thf  same  period.  The  same  remark  also  applies  to  horses 
and  mules.  Considering  the  newness  of  the  country  it  i* 
well  supplied  with  produce.  Thousands  of  tons  of  hay 
are  put  up  every  season,  and  esculent  roots  are  raised  ifi 
prolific  quantities. 

We  left  Helena  on  the  evening  of  the  9th  of  May, 
pasJiing  through  the  Prlckly-Pear  Canyon  and  followin^j 
tb"  Missouri  River.  The  road  crossed  and  recrossed  tb« 
old  Stage  route  to  Helena,  which  was  abandoned  only 
few  years  ago.  I,'  ' 


-f- 


J 


« 


Montana. 


109 


Great  Falls  (at  which  point  we  arrived  about  eleven 
o’clock  in  the  evening)  is  situated  at  the  wonderful  falls  of 
the  Missouri  River,  just  where  the  Sun  River  empties  into 
that  stream.  The  town  is  beautifully  located,  and  it  is  safe 
to  say  it  has  more  natural  resources,  as  a town  site,  than 
any  other  place  in  the  country.  At  this  point  the  Mis- 
souri River  has  a fall  of  fiv^e  hundred  feet  in  a few  miles. 
The  country  around  the  town  is  a gently  undulating  plain, 
the  land  being  of  an  excellent  quality  and  varying  from 
a sandy  loam  to  a dark  clay  loam,  without  any  admixture 
of  sand.  This  description  of  country  extends  for  miles 
around  Great  Falls,  the  nearest  mountains,  plainly  in  sight 
and  densely  timbered,  being  twenty-five  miles  away. 

The  principal  street  is  lined  with  business  houses,  built 
of  brick  and  stone.  Though  the  town  is  only  three  years 
old,  it  has  a population  of  two  thousand  inhabitants,  public 
parks,  electric  lights,  a fine  hotel,  and  public  school-house. 
Eventually  it  will  be  the  distributing  point  for  all  the  mines 
in  the  neighborhood  ; it  will  be  to  Montana  what  Denver 
and  the  country  surrounding  it  are  to  Colorado. 

On  the  morning  of  the  loth  of  May,  with  an  engine 
and  the  buffet-car,  we  went  to  San  Coin,  about  sixteen 
miles  south  of  Great  Falls,  where  the  new  coal-mines  are 
located.  These  mines  were  discovered  a short  time  before 
we  visited  them,  and  have  now  been  worked  about  a year 
and  a half.  They  have  a working  thickness  of  from  seven 
to  fourteen  feet.  Previous  to  their  discovery  the  railroad 
at  this  point  was  compelled  to  haul  its  coal  from  St.  Paul, 
a distance  of  fifteen  hundred  miles,  obtaining  the  greater 
part  of  it  from  Ohio.  Since  the  discovery  of  the  coal- 


I lO 


California  and  Alaska. 


mines  a large  smelter  has  been  put  up  by  prominent  New 
York  capitalists,  to  smelt  iron  ore,  which  is  found  in  the 
hills  near  by  in  great  abundance.  A railroad  has  been 
built  to  the  mines,  so  that  now  the  ore  can  be  delivered  to 
the  smelter  at  comparatively  small  cost.  A million  dollars 
has  already  been  expended  on  this  smelter,  and  a Boston 
company  has  lately  erected  another  at  a cost  of  half  a 
million  more  than  that  sum.  Heretofore  it  would  not 
have  been  practicable  to  erect  smelters  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  owing  to  the  want  of  coal,  but  since  its  dis- 
covery ores  can  be  brought  from  Butte  and  the  mines 
near  by  direct  to  the  smelter,  and  smelted,  thus  leaving 
only  the  valuable  part  of  the  ores  to  be  transported  East. 
The  reader  can  form  some  idea  of  the  richness  of  the  ores 
in  the  mines  south  of  this  point,  when  it  is  stated  that  the 
owners  can  afford  to  draw  the  ores  by  team  a distance  of 
nearly  sixty  miles  to  the  smelter.  There  is  also  at  this 
place  a very  valuable  lime  quarry,  which  yields  fifty-two 
per  cent,  of  lime. 

We  were  all  very  much  interested  in  our  visit  to  the 
smelter,  and  also  enjoyed  the  sight  of  an  enormous  spring 
that  bursts  from  the  ground  just  below  Black  Eagle  Falls, 
about  one  hundred  yards  back  from  the  river.  This  is  the 
largest  known  spring  in  America,  and  is  believed  by  many 
to  be  the  mouth  of  a subterranean  river.  According  to  an 
engineer’s  report  on  the  subject,  the  volume  of  water 
from  it  equals  a river  one  foot  deep  and  seventy  yards 
wide.  Captains  Eewis  and  Clark,  who  explored  the 
Missouri  in  1804,  rnentioned  this  great  natural  phe- 


nomenon. 


Montana. 


1 1 1 


Here,  also,  is  a natural  spring  of  pure  cold  water,  which, 
if  walled  up,  to  any  desired  height,  could  supply  the  upper 
story  of  any  house  on  the  highest  point  in  this  region,  while 
in  quantity  there  is  enough  to  supply  two  cities  as  large  as 
New  York. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

“THE  GARDEN  OF  MONTANA.” 

ON  leaving  Great  Falls,  coming  east,  we  journeyed 
for  two  hundred  miles  through  the  Judith  basin, 
which  is  known  as  “ The  Garden  of  Montana.” 
Benton,  which  is  forty  miles  northeast  of  Great  Flails,  is 
one  of  the  great  shipping  points  of  Montana.  In  1888 
there  were  shipped  from  Benton  three  thousand  four  hun- 
dred head  of  fat  cattle,  sixty-two  thousand  five  hundred 
head  of  sheep,  and  nearly  two  million  pounds  of  wool. 
From  the  “ Garden  of  Montana”  east  of  Great  balls,  on 
the  Manitoba  Railroad,  in  the  same  period,  there  were 
shipped  thirty-five  thousand  head  of  fat  cattle,  ninety- 
four  thousand  head  of  sheep,  and  about  two  and  a half 
million  pounds  of  wool. 

We  passed  through  Assiniboia,  near  to  which  is  Fort 
Assiniboine,  which  we  could  see  from  the  train.  This  is 
one  of  the  largest  and  best-built  military  posts  in  the 
United  States,  the  buildings  alone  having  cost  over  two 
millions  of  dollars.  There  are  seven  companies  of  infantry, 
and  two  of  cavalry  stationed  here.  Before  the  railroad 
was  built,  some  two  years  and  a half  ago,  Helena,  two 
hundred  and  seventy  miles  away,  was  the  nearest  point  of 

II2 


f 


0 


ETCHING 

North  Ar7n,  Discotasing  Lake. 


Proo/ 


By  y.  C.  NICOLL. 


jy 


m 


f- 


. ■ir~ 

'■M 


CHAPTER  XV..  ‘ , 'S  . 

‘^THK  GARDEN  OF  MONTANA.” 


N i.  . V in^  Great  Falls,  coming  east,  we  journeyed 
w.r  two  hundred  miles  through  the  Judith  basin, 
which  is  known  as  “ The  Garden  of  Montana," 
*'on,  V V'ich  is  of  Great  Falls,- is 


, -I  ^reau  shiupiii^^^Hijnts  f>l  M<'ntan^  In  i8S8 


-Avw\Vi  H&t  fat  cattle,  sixty-two  thousand  five  hundred 
I -,hecp,  ivnd  nearly  two  million  pounds 

i , , , ' t.'iatdcn  of  Montana"  east  of  Great  halls,  on 

.■  .i-.ba  Railroad,  in  the  same  periods  there  were 
- ,t}irty-five  thousand  head  of  fat  cattle,  ninety-, 

Tou’  t’'  Mt  cind  head  of  sheep,  and  about,  two  and  a half 

ivilb'-n  •inds  of  wool.  , 

\Vr  ; ■ >'<:d  through  Assiniboia,  near  to  which  is  Fort  . 
As'Mniboi..; , A'hich  we  could  .see  from  the  train.  This  is 
one  cf  ihf.  : >rgest  and  best-built  military  posts  in  tbf> 
United  v the  buildings  alone  having  cost  over  two 

miJllonlrvf  dollars.  There  are  seven  companies  of  infantr>%.^ 
! b '.WO  I .'valry  stationed  here.  .Before  the  railroa^.- 
■ iwiili;  n,nc  mvo  years  and  a half  ago,  Helena,  two  , 
..  'r  -n\'  ;vl  .md^scyenfev  miles  away,  was  the  nearest  point 


i13 


c 


«» 


■ 'Vv 


I 


The  Gardeji  of  Montana. 


113 


railroad  communication.  Bear  Paw  Mountains,  rising  out 
of  an  almost  level  prairie,  can  be  seen  for  miles  around. 
The  range  is  about  seven  thousand  feet  high,  and  is  cov- 
ered by  large  tracts  of  pine  timber.  Several  streams  of 
fine  spring  water  gush  forth  on  the  plains  from  the  sides 
of  the  mountain  range.  \’aluable  leads  of  gold,  silver, 
and  lead  were  discovered  two  summers  ago,  and  many 
mines  were  located.  At  the  base  of  these  mountains 
is  one  of  the  most  attractive  tracts  of  land  ever  seen  ; it  is 
slightly  rolling,  and  elevated  about  five  hundred  feet  above 
the  valley  of  the  Milk  River.  .Summer  before  last  we 
were  told  that  the  cfrass  was  waist-hicrh  over  the  whole 
face  of  the  country,  and  very  thick  ; it  had  been  nourished 
by  the  frequent  summer  showers  which  are  peculiar  to  this 
section.  Large  veins  of  the  finest  bituminous  coal,  from 
six  to  twenty  feet  in  thickness,  crop  out  at  frequent  inter- 
vals along  the  banks  of  the  streams. 

The  country  through  which  we  passed  towards  evening 
was  unsettled  and  looked  very  new  ; although  a fertile 
and  good  grass  country,  for  a distance  of  two  hundred 
miles  we  saw  only  four  houses,  and  those  were  railway 
stations.  Many  of  the  stations  on  this  part  of  the  road 
consist  of  simply  a switch  or  siding,  with  the  name  put  on 
a post  driven  into  the  ground  ; attached  to  the  post  is 
a box  containing  a telegraph  key  connected  with  the 
wires,  so  that  an  operator  may  telegraph  in  case  of 
necessity.  The  Manitoba  road  carries  an  operator  on 
each  of  its  trains,  so  that  these  boxes  can  be  used  in  case 
of  need.  There  are  no  lamps  on  these  switches,  and  if 

there  were  there  are  no  inhabitants  here  to  attend  to  them. 

15 


II4  Califo7mia  and  Alaska. 

During  a part  of  the  journey  the  writer  took  one  of 
the  children  on  the  engine,  where  he  remained  an  hour  ; 
it  was  the  first  experience  of  the  kind  he  had  ever  had. 

e saw  a number  of  wolves  on  the  prairie,  and,  at  times, 
passed  many  groups  of  Indians,  especially  at  Assiniboine, 
where  we  purchased  from  them  a number  of  buffalo  horns. 

Although  this  country  is  so  sparsely  inhabited,  it  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  only  eighteen  months  before  we  saw 
it  there  was  no  railroad  passing  through  the  section,  and 
the  Government  had  only  a year  before  opened  this  great 
reservation  for  settlement,  which,  in  itself,  is  an  empire  con- 
taining about  eighteen*  millions  of  acres,  eligible  for  free 
homes  under  the  United  States  land  laws.  This  great 
tract  through  which  the  railroad  runs  is  the  cream  of  the 
Territory,  and,  without  doubt,  in  the  future  will  represent 
the  great  grain-producing  section  of  the  United  States. 

Many  people  suppose  that  because  this  Territory  is 
near  the  northern  boundary  its  climate  is  severe  ; the 
contrary  is  the  case.  It  is  within  the  limits  of  the  warm 
winds  which  blow  from  the  Pacific  coast  in  the  winter. 
These  winds  are  called  “ chinooks,”  and  as  long  as  they 
continue,  which  is  often  for  days  at  a time,  the  weather 
will  be  mild  and  spring-like.  The  limit  of  the  “ chi- 
nook”  winds  is  three  hundred  miles  east  of  the  mountains, 
and  within  this  section  all  kinds  of  stock  graze  at  large  the 
year  round.  The  valleys  are  protected,  and  with  the  high 
plains  are  all  richly  watered.  The  slight  snows  melt  imme- 
diately after  they  fall,  leaving  the  ground  bare,  and  it  is 
very  seldom  that  there  is  enough  snow  to  allow  sleighing. 
The  rivers,  if  they  close  at  all,  remain  frozen  but  for  a few 
weeks,  the  ice  invariably  going  out  the  last  of  January  or 


The  Garden  of  Mojitana. 


1 15 


during  February.  Signal-service  records  show  that  the 
temperature  in  the  winter  is  often  higher  at  Great  Falls 
than  at  San  Antonio,  Texas,  or  at  Memphis,  Tennessee. 
In  the  vicinity  of  Great  Falls  the  climate  is  especially  bene- 
ficial to  persons  with  weak  lungs,  consumption  and  kin- 
dred diseases  being  almost  unknown. 

The  following  table  will  give  a very  good  idea  of  the 
temperature  at  Great  Falls,  which  is  only  a few  miles  east  of 
Helena,  and  if  anything  is  a milder  climate  than  at  Helena : 


Temperatures  for  February,  1888,  at 


Helena. 

Chicago. 

St.  Louis. 

February 

I 

7 A.M. 

30 

3 P M- 

36 

7 A..M. 

30 

3 P-M. 
32 

7 A..M. 

30 

3 P-M. 
34 

2 

28 

24 

28 

32 

34 

34 

3 

22 

32 

30 

32 

32 

34 

4 

24 

30 

32 

32 

32 

36 

“ 

5 

20 

34 

24 

20 

22 

20 

6 

32 

36 

6 

24 

22 

34 

7 

38 

40 

14 

14 

34 

46 

a 

8 

46 

38 

12 

0 

14 

16 

u 

9 

44 

44 

16 

6 

6 

4 

u 

10 

36 

42 

4 

12 

6 

14 

I I 

44 

48 

4 

18 

i8 

24 

12 

46 

56 

16 

28 

18 

44 

13 

40 

40 

26 

42 

34 

48 

14 

42 

30 

26 

16 

46 

30 

•5 

28 

20 

8 

16 

16 

26 

a 

16 

36 

48 

14 

36 

24 

44 

17 

34 

46 

28 

40 

36 

52 

18 

40 

42 

36 

42 

38 

56 

34 

42 

48 

46 

48 

58 

20 

34 

38 

28 

24 

34 

46 

21 

34 

40 

18 

28 

32 

36 

22 

38 

46 

28 

38 

32 

44 

23 

32 

44 

34 

38 

36 

46 

24 

28 

40 

32 

40 

38 

42 

25 

34 

38 

34 

16 

30 

30 

26 

34 

44 

4 

6 

20 

22 

27 

34 

52 

2 

6 

0 

12 

28 

28 

12 

10 

30 

18 

32 

California  and  Alaska. 


1 16 


The  farmers  begin  the  work  of  sowing  their  crops  in 
February  and  March.  The  summers  are  not  excessively 
hot.  Harvest  commences  in  August,  and  fall  work  is 
continued  through  the  months  of  September,  October, 
and  November.  Mild  autumn  weather  lasts  into  Decem- 
ber, thus  giving  a season  of  nine  or  ten  months  of  beauti- 
ful weather.  A notable  feature  about  the  climate  is  the 
dryness  of  the  air  ; in  the  winter  the  mountains  can  be 
easily  seen  from  sixty  to  one  hundred  miles  away.  Wheat 
yields  from  thirty  to  sixty  bushels  per  acre,  oats  from  fifty 
to  one  hundred  and  five  bushels  per  acre,  barley  forty  to 
seventy  bushels,  timothy  from  one  and  a half  to  three  tons 
per  acre,  and  other  grains  in  proportion.  Timber  grows 
freely  along  the  rivers  ; saw-mills,  tanneries,  flouring-mills, 
and  mechanics’  shops  are  in  active  and  profitable  opera- 
tion ; so  that,  with  a climate  almost  as  favorable  as  that  of 
Colorado,  and  a soil  more  fertile,  and  an  industry  simi- 
larly diversified,  Montana  seems  sure  to  occupy  an  import- 
ant place  in  the  commercial  future  of  the  Great  West. 

The  Great  Falls  of  the  Missouri,  from  which  the  town 
of  Great  Falls  takes  its  name,  are  esteemed  by  travellers 
as  holding  rank  scarcely  below  the  cataracts  of  Niagara. 
Beyond  Council  Bluffs  commences  a country  of  great 
interest  and  grandeur,  called  the  Upper  Missouri  ; buf- 
falo, elk,  and  mountain  sheep  abound.  Lewis  and  Clark, 
and  other  travellers,  relate  having  seen  here  large  and 
singular  petrifactions,  both  animal  and  vegetable.  On 
the  top  of  a hill  they  found  a petrified  skeleton  of  a huge 
fish,  forty-five  feet  in  length.  Navigation  is  very  danger- 
ous, on  account  of  the  swift  current,  the  countless  islands 


r 


(jrcdf  Palls  of  the  MissottiH  River, 

Mo7itaiia . 


ij«i  Tfi  dnd  Ahuii 

-*  A~7m.  ■ 


f^v!  ^ W ’ of  niijicr  or  t«!fafe^ths  of 

1.^  tx.  ' A Jiotablc  fcj^tiire  abcwt  thti  *cUmait:e  isUhe 


kk' 

: 


i«  the  rW>j\icr  d*c  rodtittuin^ 
frottt  sixty  to^nefjbu^etf 

i„  thirty  to  bifshel»  |>c# 

S' '''-  ■ 1 rkiiif}  r.ii*  *'.t\»iiaVL:>lB' o<v*:kV  K'ki^MU 


* 


frvi! ‘"■b»i*h<ds';p^^ 

'>  V . T ,,-„.ii,  1 ! '<•  VV  *'r.  "■■  '•  . ='■  .";  '. 

'..r  j i’  ' . JM  ..  » ••  jt.  1/1  <»  .»-.  / >iv  k ' I fmi'v#***  rt  fVWMiS" 


.^.  _ _ ^ik^^ancHy  Niagat 

Bluffs  cotnmertcfe  ^'a'  country  oC 
' i ft f h4-l<nir>  call^  th«>Up^r bu^j^ 
jV  . k«yfSklu^€l|5;  6kJ  shccfj  aboimd.  Lt^wis  and  C!ar‘ 

w _ /I  . * relate  'having  seen  herti  large 


bc>tli^*^ntmal  an«.f  vegetable:^ 

V fouml  i>pctrificd  skeleton  of  ■ a hoi,-.-jB  ( 

vx'fy  ding<y|^_|^ 


.J  > , /■  ' 

•>  ‘1^'t^  a Ci9m 


.n 


The  Garden  of  Montana, 


117 

and  sand-bars,  and  the  murderous  “ snags  ” and  “ sawyers.” 
A “ snag  ” is  a tree  which,  when  washed  away  from  the 
bank,  floats  into  the  stream,  and  then  partially  sinks  ; the 
roots  become  fastened  in  the  bottom,  and  then  the  sharp 
stems,  rising  nearly  to  and  above  the  surface  of  the  water, 
are  the  fatal  snags  that  almost  instantly  sink  any  steamer 
striking  them.  They  always  lie  with  their  sharp  ends 
pointing  down  the  stream,  and  consequently  are  danger- 
ous principally  to  ascending  steamers.  When  a steamer 
is  descending  the  stream,  it  slides  over  them,  instead  of 
being  impaled.  They  are  then  known  as  “ sawyers,”  if 
they  project  above  the  water,  the  current  giving  them 
a waving  motion.  At  a low  stage  of  water,  navigation  is 
almost  impossible. 

The  Great  Falls  of  the  Missouri  are  also  wonderful 
considered  from  a utilitarian  point  of  view,  or,  in  other 
words,  the  amount  of  water-power  which  they  would  be 
capable  of  furnishing,  which,  as  estimated  by  a prominent 
engineer,  would  be  one  million  horse-power.  It  would 
seem  to  be  only  a question  of  time  when  the  town  of 
Great  Falls  will  be  another  St.  Paul  or  Minneapolis.  The 
Manitoba  road  intend  buildinor  a line  north  of  (ireat 

o 

Falls,  to  connect  with  the  Canadian  Pacific. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

FROM  ST.  PAUL  TO  MANITOBA. 

WE  arrived  at  St.  Paul  on  Sunday  morning,  May 
1 2th,  about  half-past  seven  o’clock,  and  after 
breakfast  went  at  once  to  the  Ryan  House. 
Soon  after  our  arrival  Mr.  F.  B.  Clarke,  of  the  Omaha 
road,  called  upon  us  ; we  had  the  pleasure  of  dining  with 
him,  and  afterwards  spent  the  evening  with  Mr.  Hill. 

After  getting  comfortably  settled  in  our  rooms  in  the 
morning,  we  took  carriages  and  drove  around  the  city. 
Some  of  our  party  went  to  church,  and  in  the  afternoon 
we  took  another  drive  around  the  town. 

The  following  (Monday)  morning,  the  writer’s  brother, 
Walter,  Vice-President;  Mr.  Flagg,  Gen’l  Superintendent ; 
Mr.  Spoor,  Division  Superintendent;  and  Mr.  Smith, 
private  secretary,  arrived  from  New  York.  The  morning 
was  occupied  in  talking  over  “ Company  ” matters. 
After  lunch  our  whole  party  went  out  to  Mr.  Hill’s 
farm.  While  Mrs.  Webb  and  the  writer  were  admiring 
the  stock  on  the  place,  the  rest  of  the  party  went  fishing. 
We  returned  to  the  city  about  seven  o’clock,  in  time  to 
see  Walter  and  his  party  off  to  Chicago.  Mr.  Smith  had 

ii8 


Boys,  Manitoba  Railroad. 


CHAPTBR  XVI. 


■r-}A 


FROM  ST.  PAUL  TO  MANITOBA. 

E arrived  at  St,  Paul  on  Sunday  morning,  May 
j[2th,  about  seven  o'clock,  and  after 

breakfast  wertl  iti  nnct;  to  the  Ryan  House.  * 
>.  . Ml,  j\  B.  Clarke,  of  the  Omaha 

iiAvi,  N ' r.  ; \v<  n.vd  the  pleasure  of  dining  with 

AfUv  /.omfortably  fiettled  iril  our  rooms  in  tl^ 

morning;  '•»-  'i/ok  carriages  and  drove  around  the  city. 
Some  ot  ptarty  went  to  church,  and  in  the  afterncK)!! 
we  took  ;uTi:{'>thcF  drive  around  the  town.  i 

The  following  (Monday)  morning,  the  writer’s  broth**r. 
Walter,  Vice-President ; Mr.  Flagg,  Gen’l  Superintendent; 
Mr.  -Spo*»r.  Division  Superintendent;  and  Mr.  .Smith, 
privat.  secretary,  arrived  from  New  York.  The  morning 
was  orriqjicd  In  talking  over  '‘Company”  matters 
.After  lunch  our  whole  party  went- out  to  Mr.  Hill’s 


farm.  \Vhile  Mrs  VVebb  and  the  writer  were  admiring 
the  stock  on  the  place,  the  rest  of  the  partj,  •.  < fishing. 
AVe  returned  to  the  city  about  seven  time  to 

see  Waiter  ;>cd  his  party  off  to  Chicago^  Mt".  Smith  had 


From  St.  Paul  to  Ma7iitoba. 


119 

arranged  to  remain,  and  accompany  us  a little  way  on  the 
Canadian  Pacific,  when,  with  Louis,  he  intended  to  take 
the  train,  going  home  to  New  York  by  way  of  Montreal. 
We  had  expected  Mr.  Creighton  Webb  to  join  us  here 
and  take  Louis’  place,  but  for  some  reason  he  could  not 
get  away. 

Soon  after  breakfast  we  all  went  over  to  Minneapolis. 
On  our  arrival  there  we  were  met  by  Mr.  Thomas  Lowry, 
who  favored  us  with  a pleasant  drive  over  the  city,  show- 
ing us  the  parks  and  other  places  of  interest,  and  taking 
us  around  the  suburbs  of  the  city.  The  writer  had  been 
to  Minneapolis  many  times  before,  but  must  confess  that 
not  until  this  occasion  had  he  ever  realized  the  extent  and 
beauty  of  this  magnificent  city.  The  saw-  and  grist-mills 
here  are  numerous  and  extensive.  The  Driving  Park, 
south  of  the  town,  is  an  enclosure  of  seventy-five  acres, 
and  used  for  the  purpose  indicated  by  its  name.  Lakes 
Harriet  and  Calhoun  also  afford  delightful  drives,  while 
Lake  Minnetonka  is  twelve  miles  to  the  west. 

At  half-past  twelve  we  returned  to  .St.  Paul,  and  at 
once  busied  ourselves  in  getting  ready  to  start  for  Winni- 
peg. At  this  point  the  cars  were  all  cleaned  both  inside 
and  out,  the  trucks  and  running  gear  were  overhauled, 
and  a plentiful  supply  of  provisions  laid  in,  in  fact  every 
preparation  was  made  for  our  second  long  trip  to  the 
Pacific  coast. 

Promptly  at  three  o’clock,  with  Mr.  Mohler,  the  genial 
Assistant  General  Manager  of  the  Manitoba  road,  we 
started  northward.  Mr.  Hill,  Mr.  Clarke,  and  a group  of 
other  friends  came  down  to  the  station  and  bade  us  good- 


I 20 


California  and  Alaska. 


by.  The  ride  during  the  evening  on  our  way  north  was 
exceedingly  interesting  ; we  saw  a new  part  of  the  road, 
and  the  scenery  was  somewhat  different  from  what  is  seen 
on  the  western  section.  We  found  the  track  to  be  in 
excellent  condition,  and  made  very  good  time  after  we 
came  out  of  St.  Paul. 

As  we  entered  the  park  region  of  Minnesota,  we  were 
continually  passing  lakes  ; it  is  said  that  there  are  ten 
thousand  of  these  within  an  area  of  one  hundred  square 
miles.  These  lakes  form  one  of  the  most  invitingf  and 
picturesque  features  of  the  State.  They  are  found  in 
every  section,  and  are  annually  visited  by  large  numbers 
of  tourists  and  sportsmen.  Sometimes  they  are  little 
ponds  a mile  in  circumference,  and  again  sheets  of  water 
forty  or  fifty  miles  in  extent.  Their  shores  are  charmingly 
wooded,  and  frequently  present  hne  pictures  of  cliff  and 
headland.  The  waters  are  pure  and  transparent,  and  are 
filled  with  white-fish,  trout,  pike,  pickerel,  sucker,  perch, 
and  other  finny  inhabitants.  The  largest  of  these  lakes 
are  the  Minnetonka,  the  Osakis  or  Spirit  Lake,  White 
Bear,  Kandiyohi,  Otter  Tail,  and  Mille  Lacs. 

This  is  a very  fertile  wheat  country.  Romantic  stories 
of  the  wonders  of  the  land  which  now  forms  the  State  of 
Minnesota  were  told  more  than  two  centuries  ago  by  the 
zealous  French  missionaries,  who  had,  even  at  that  remote 
period,  pushed  their  adventures  thither ; nevertheless, 
scarcely  twenty  years  have  elapsed  since  immigration  has 
earnestly  set  that  way,  creating  populous  towns  and  culti- 
vated farms  along  the  rivers  and  valleys  before  occupied 
by  the  canoe  and  the  wigwam  of  the  savage  alone.  Some 


From  St.  PaiLl  to  Manitoba. 


I 2 I 


idea  of  the  marvellous  growth  and  development  of  this 
young  State  may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that  during  the 
past  decade  the  cultivated  area  of  Minnesota  has  increased 
nearly  three  hundred  per  cent.,  the  population  nearly  two 
hundred  and  fifty  per  cent.,  and  the  value  of  manufactures 
about  two  hundred  and  fifty  per  cent. 

It  seemed  quite  like  home  to  get  back  to  our  train  and 
spend  our  evenings  in  the  buffet-car.  The  kindness  and 
attention  of  the  Manitoba  officials  could  scarcely  be  ex- 
ceeded; nothing  was  left  undone  to  make  our  journey  over 
their  lines  thoroughly  comfortable  and  enjoyable.  Their 
treatment  reminded  us  of  the  generous  hospitality  we  had 
received  on  the  Southern  Pacific  more  than  any  other  ex- 
perience we  had  met  with  since  leaving  the  Pacific  coast. 
The  Manitoba  people  are  certainly  to  be  congratulated 
upon  having  such  a superb  piece  of  property,  and  beyond 
a doubt  there  is  a truly  wonderful  future  in  store  for  it. 
Persons  who  are  looking  for  homes  in  the  West  should  not 
fail  to  consider  carefully  the  advantages  to  be  derived  from 
locating  on  the  line  of  this  road  in  Montana  ; we  were  given 
to  understand  that  the  company  offer  extraordinary  induce- 
ments to  settlers. 

We  passed  through  Winnipeg  early  on  the  morning  of 
May  15th.  Before  arriving,  the  writer  had  received  a tele- 
gram from  the  American  consul  at  that  place  inviting  our 
party  to  stop  over  at  that  city  and  attend  a banquet  which 
it  was  intended  to  give  in  our  honor,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
be  presented  to  the  Governor  of  Manitoba.  We  were 
obliged  to  decline  this  flattering  invitation,  as  we  had  ar- 
ranged to  stop  at  Winnipeg  on  our  homeward  journey. 


122 


California  and  Alaska. 


and  besides  it  was  the  wish  of  Mr.  Van  Horne  that  we 
should  go  directly  through  to  the  coast  and  stop  at  differ- 
ent points  on  the  Canadian  Pacific  road  on  our  return. 

After  leaving  Winnipeg  the  country  presented  the  ap- 
pearance of  one  broad,  level  plain — not  a prairie,  but  a 
widening  of  the  valleys  of  the  Red  and  Assiniboine  rivers, 
which  unite  at  Winnipeg.  There  were  large  numbers  of 
cattle  to  be  seen,  and,  behind  the  trees,  glimpses  of  well- 
tilled  farms  with  comfortable  farm-houses.  The  farmers 
here  devote  their  energies  to  dairy  products  and  to  cattle- 
breeding.  For  nearly  one  hundred  miles  we  followed  the 
course  of  the  Assiniboine  River,  which  is  marked  by  a belt 
of  timber.  Between  Winnipeg  and  Brandon  the  stations 
are  about  eight  miles  apart,  many  of  them  representing 
lively  and  enterprising  towns,  and  at  nearly  all  of  them  are 
large  grain  elevators.  We  arrived  at  Brandon  about  ten 
o’clock  on  the  morning  of  May  15th,  and  there  bade  good- 
by  to  Louis  and  Mr.  Smith. 

Brandon  has  a population  of  five  thousand  four  hun- 
dred, and  is  a divisional  point  on  the  railway.  It  is  the 
largest  grain  market  in  Manitoba,  and  the  distributing 
market  for  an  extensive  and  well-settled  country.  It  has 
five  grain  elevators,  a Houring-mill,  and  a saw-mill.  A rail- 
way is  being  built  from  Brandon  northwest  to  the  Saskatche- 
wan country.  At  this  point,  too,  the  standard  time  changes 
to  “ mountain  time” — i.  e.,  it  is  one  hour  slower. 

After  changing  engines,  and  having  the  train  carefully 
examined,  we  proceeded  on  our  westward  journey,  passing 
through  a rolling  prairie,  and  about  one  hundred  miles 
from  Brandon  we  entered  the  Province  of  Assiniboia.  We 


From  St.  Paiil  to  Manitoba. 


123 


saw  a great  number  of  ponds  and  small  hills  covered  with 
low  brush,  where  it  is  said  excellent  sport  can  be  had  in  the 
wild-fowl  season.  At  Broadview,  a pretty  place,  but  a 
divisional  point  dependent  upon  the  railway,  we  changed 
engines  again.  A short  ride  from  here  brought  us  to  the 
celebrated  Bell  farm,  which  embraces  one  hundred  square 
miles  of  land.  The  work  upon  this  vast  estate  is  per- 
formed with  military  precision  and  discipline.  The  fur- 
rows ploughed  on  this  farm  are  usually  four  miles  in 
length  ; one  furrow  out  and  one  back  is  considered  half 
a day’s  work  and  in  the  afternoon  the  same  amount  of 
labor  is  performed.  The  cottages  on  the  farm  are  built  of 
stone,  and  barns  can  be  seen  for  miles  around  ; the  large 
collection  of  buildings  at  the  headquarters  near  the  railway 
station  include  a church,  a flour-mill,  and,  of  course,  a grain 
elevator,  and  it  may  be  said  here  that  in  this  section  an 
elevator  will  be  found  wherever  there  is  wheat  to  be  han- 
dled or  stored. 

After  passing  Ou’Appelle  we  went  for  eight  miles 
through  a small-timbered  country  and  then  entered  the 
great  Regina  Plain,  which  seems  to  be  apparently  bound- 
less, extending  in  all  directions  ; the  soil  is  very  fertile  to  a 
great  depth.  Regina  is  the  capital  of  Assiniboia,  and  the 
distributing  point  for  the  sections  of  country  lying  far  north 
and  south.  A railway  runs  from  here  northward,  and  will 
soon  be  extended  to  PLdmonton  on  the  North  Saskatche- 
wan. The  Executive  Council  of  the  Northwest  Terri- 
tories, which  embrace  the  provinces  of  Assiniboia,  Alberta, 
Saskatchewan,  and  Athabasca,  meets  here.  The  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor’s residence  is  at  this  place,  and  in  the  imme- 


124 


California  and  Alaska. 


diate  neighborhood  are  the  headquarters  of  the  celebrated 
Northwest  Mounted  Police,  whose  buildings,  including 
officers’  quarters,  drill  hall,  barracks,  offices,  store-houses, 
stables,  etc.,  could  be  plainly  seen  from  the  train.  The 
Northwest  Mounted  Police  is  a military  organization  num- 
bering one  thousand  young  and  picked  men,  who  are  sta- 
tioned over  the  Northwest,  for  the  purpose  of  watching 
the  Indians  and  preserving  order  generally.  Moose  Jaw, 
where  we  changed  engines,  is  another  divisional  point. 
There  we  saw  a number  of  Indians,  encamped  on  the 
banks  of  the  river.  The  Indian  name  for  this  place  is 
“ The-creek  - where -the -white  - man  - mended- the-cart-with- 
a-moose-j  aw-bone.  ” 

After  leaving  Moose  Jaw  we  noticed  that  the  prairie 
was  well  marked  in  all  directions  with  old  buffalo-trails, 
and  here  and  there  the  old  wallows.  This  section  was 
once  the  home  of  the  buffalo  ; we  say  was,  for  their  number 
is  rapidly  decreasing.  Not  one  was  visible,  for  they 
quickly  leave  the  land  which  is  traversed  by  the  train. 
Once,  however,  this  country  was  blackened  by  their  hordes 
as  they  wandered  over  it  at  their  will,  or  marched  from 
one  feeding-ground  to  another.  In  making  this  remark 
we  may  say  that  they  do  not  run  in  a mob  as  represented 
in  some  pictures,  but  move  in  single  file,  like  policemen. 
We  crossed  hundreds  of  their  deeply  worn  tracks  leading 
straight  away  into  the  distance,  and  surely  indicating  that 
the  slopes  of  the  Rockies  are  fitted  for  the  purpose  to 
which  they  are  being  applied  by  the  settler,  viz.,  the  rearing 
and  feedingr  of  cattle. 

On  this  day  we  ran  very  fast,  and  by  half-past  seven 
o’clock  had  covered  five  hundred  and  ten  miles,  arriving  at 


Vtcu’  of  Narrows,  Biscotasing  Lake. 


1*^  ^ J »vc  noticed  that  the  praiij 

•L  ■ — -.Jr  ■ 


??  ,V 

^ . . . . ^ - . ^ 

U . V California  and  Atasff^.  ^ 4 

■ -i-;  - ^'-r  ...-.*>  > ■ ^ ' (.O'*)*  * ■!  ^ \*  ' 


'•-.I^rthwcst  >^To4^t<r^  Avho^;  hvildmj|>g,_ 

iJiH,  ij*ifracfc^  i»^Rdqi^‘sto]e-h8^^fe,  . 
■?st»l7!c}S^^COJ>fe  Hcen  fron^  tlS^? Wjru 

w'  '■  *r  ' Ik  •«•  ' •'  ' ■ 

•'North'jv.oit  Mv>uni'"4  jWioftw  a military  prganuattdii  p‘»^ 


muf  and  pick^  mth,  31^ 

'^i>f&weut,  for  the  purpose  of  watd 
ikc  J'M^fut#^d„|!fv^rving  generally^  Moose  Jailti 
ftH.  * ^ >lllW^A  ^engines,"'  ij  ano^cf  divfei.onaJ  poiag 


T^^.  a,  number  of  encamped  on 

||  the  rivtjr.'  rhe  Indian^ name  ior  this  place^ijij 
• Qi  whiiaf  • man  -mended^  the*cart* 


•'  -“m  sis 


vM  i|ji|  dir^ions  wjth  old  buffalo-trji 
the  oW  wallows.  .'This  section  ,wi 

Nof  one  was  visible,  for  tht 
,j»ic‘V?y  leave  the  land  which  is  traversed  by  the  trai^  ^ 
iJncc,  however,  this  country  was  blackened  by  their  hoijdf 

>f  . j ^■''i  W< 

^ they  wandered  over  it  at  their  willj  or  marched  It 
rns'ip  fc^ding^oun.d  to  another.  In  making  this  rei 
ina,y  i»y  that  tfcjy  do  not  nm  in  h«mOb  as  repre«|nr^ 
in  r;omn,  picuiecji;  bwt  move  in  .single  file,  like  pohoti^ffni.^^ 
1 cp.fi5#ed  h«n^  their  d^ply  worn  tradts  leading  J 

’■4;Wm?ghl  away  Itvto  the  distance,  and  surely  indicating,  ili^  yl 
ihe-^jbpe^  kocktes  are*  fitt^  for  the  paiyKtse  to 

which  tliey.  art, being  applied^ by  the  settler,  vk  , ' ‘ r<,:ari£^^ 
and  .’fecdiitg  ^of  cattle.,,  j \ ^ 

, -!^^Oh;  this  dgy  we  ivjry  last,  ami  hif  hi^y/m  seven\ 
o'clock  had  covered  five  huihdred  atvi  ten  m4ei«,  arrivinffat 


I 


' '.'  »•'.  1 


From  St.  Paul  to  Manitoba. 


125 


Swift  Current,  a divisional  point,  where  we  changed  en- 
gines. The  country  was  exceedingly  picturesque  and  much 
more  thickly  settled  than  we  had  been  led  to  anticipate. 
While  riding  in  the  baggage-car  we  saw  an  antelope,  at 
which  we  had  four  or  five  unsuccessful  shots  ; we  also  saw 
a bear  and  a number  of  wolves.  Rush  Lake  is  a favorite 
resort  for  water-fowl,  swans,  geese,  duck,  and  pelican, 
which  at  times  are  seen  here  in  countless  numbers.  Snipe, 
plover,  and  curlew,  which  are  common  enough  upon  the 
prairies,  are  found  here  in  great  abundance. 

W'e  changed  engines  at  Medicine  Hat,  situated  on  the 
Saskatchewan  River,  which  is  spanned  by  a fine  steel  bridge. 
There  are  large  repair-shops  located  at  this  place,  which  is 
a very  important  station  on  the  line,  and  not  far  away  are 
large  coal-mines.  The  river  is  navigable  for  some  dis- 
tance above,  and  for  eight  hundred  miles  below.  From 
Medicine  Hat  the  ground  creeps  up  towards  the  Rocky 
Mountains. 

About  thirty-five  miles  from  Medicine  Hat  is  a small 
station  called  Langevin.  When  they  were  building  the 
railroad  here  they  wanted  water,  and  after  boring  over  a 
thousand  feet,  hoping  to  make  an  artesian  well,  the  search 
for  water  was  repaid  by  fire.  At  least,  one  day,  the  borers, 
holding  a candle  or  striking  a match  close  to  the  hole,  were 
thrust  back  by  a fountain  of  flame,  which  licked  up  the 
house  in  which  their  engine  was  at  work,  and  there  stood 
a pillar  of  fire  in  the  midst  of  the  green  prairie.  They  had 
then  reached  a depth  of  nearly  eleven  hundred  feet,  and, 
passing  through  the  huge  coal-bed  which  lies  beneath,  had 
probably  struck  a fissure.  At  all  events,  up  rushed  the 
gas,  which,  becoming  ignited,  soon  consumed  their  solitary 


California  and  Alaska. 


1 26 


shelter.  Presently,  however,  after  some  pains,  the  hole 
through  which  it  issued  was  plugged  and  fitted  with  an 
iron  pipe,  governed  by  a tap.  This  natural  gas  is  now 
used  by  the  railroad  company  to  pump  water  for  the 
engines.  The  prairie  at  this  point  in  August  is  said  to 
present  a very  fine  appearance,  resembling,  at  times,  a 
billowy  ocean  of  grass. 

We  arrived  at  Gleichen,  a railway  divisional  point, 
near  the  foot  of  the  Rockies,  on  the  i6th  of  May,  at  about 
half-past  two  in  the  morning.  We  stopped  there  until 
four  o’clock  to  see  the  sun  rise  on  the  prairie,  and  it  was 
one  of  the  most  imposing  spectacles  we  had  ever  witnessed. 
As  the  orb  of  day  rose  over  the  horizon  it  appeared  to  be 
one  mass  of  fire,  while  the  moon  was  shining  in  the  sky  in 
the  opposite  direction.  The  mountains  at  first  were  in- 
visible, but  as  the  sun  gradually  came  into  view  the  re- 
flection of  its  bright-red  rays  was  thrown  upon  the  snowy 
peaks  of  the  Rockies  in  the  distance,  A few  hours  after 
we  had  witnessed  this  sight  the  mountains  began  to  be 
visible  ; although  we  had  crossed  the  continent  twice  in 
the  preceding  five  weeks,  it  seemed  as  if  this  was  the  first 
view  we  had  really  had  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  Shortly 
after  leaving  Gleichen  we  came  to  Calgary,  very  charm- 
ingly located  on  the  banks  of  the  Bow  River,  and  sur- 
rounded by  most  excellent  farming  lands.  This  is  the 
most  important,  as  well  as  the  handsomest,  town  between 
Brandon  and  Vancouver,  and  is  situated  on  a hill-girt 
plateau,  overlooked  by  the  white  peaks  of  the  Rockies  ; it 
is  the  centre  of  the  trade  of  the  great  ranching  country, 
and  the  chief  source  of  supply  for  the  mining  districts  in 


I he  Rear  of  the  Special  Train  at  Field. 


m 

£i 

i ^K  w 


m 


- !r* 


't'r 

r’  > 

) 


• V 


► V ft* 


• California  AH 


. # "?■] 


I*' 


'M  'k 


^'.  -> 


irfi''ltcf4  afterj^^^c  ^p'aiiWf^f  ^6Je  .1  ^ 

t*  was  pluggeB|*|M  ;^tecrw5^^  ^,  J 

I f»  ihn.  company  ^^'a6ey^^Q^  ti^Hl 

1a  '1t»r  at  thi»  poiiii  io  l^c^usti^r  ^idi  t<S 

J'I’A  rv**'’  ■ T' -..  • )»»  .T*  ' '•&■'•.  " ‘ • ''-T-' 

. » -V . . . - JI, ..  at  timofcVi^ 


H t « ■ ■ I-  • ■ • 

"PiV^'i^prc  i fery  fine  appearance, 

f‘ Jf  ’,;  . ...i.  . - *■ 


p of  gra»  ,.  _ >4  ^ . 4-;jgf| 

* . 4 ■"  . s t _ 1^'  _.  ^ . r ^ ‘ ^ 1 ■ I ■an  II  K jnl  a • ■*  M #»  1 ‘i 


^ , W«  arrived 'at  Gkichea,;  railway  divisional}  poi# 

* ' ■•*  ...  # . t_;j 


d>e  foot  of  tlic  Rockies,  on  the  i6jth  of  May,  at  A 
two  in  die  morning.  We.jstopped  there 
^ . ft«rr  oWCii  W the  rise  on'Hhe^  p^iric,  aikl  it'  w 

VMetii  fmtjo*dag  sMctacies- we  h^'ever  w» 

- -<■  ..  . - -;fi  ...  *=v. 

en 

fT' 


A 


~9> 


f 


wjtnes 

‘1^  hdtizoh'  .it  iippeafed'.-to.. 

« nwixT shining  in  the  sk^"  ii 

'■  ■ ,The  mountauis  at  fifsPirwer 

.yiMWA.  ^w' 

Jk  :,  ..3  rays  was  thmwn  upon,  the  ‘^noi 

5 E.  mitkft  of  the  RtJckieS'in  the  distanoei  A few  hoU©- attWiti 
i this  sight  the  moun^ns' be^j^ 

.ij; visible  ; although  we  had  crossedf^the  continent 
' •'  \^riie  preceding  five  weeks,  it  seej^ed  as  if  jth^^  was  th^  fjnijll^^ 

'.\  »v  we  had  rcaHy  luid  of  the  Rocky  Mountains^  |L 

Jl  jfe^‘-  came  to  Chlgary,' very  t & 1 

^ mgijf  ^iftjcatedvwi  the  bankar  of  the  Bow  River,  ai^  Jil 


W‘ 


I , **  ■ 


(i. 


* * ' iv  ^ -andlthe  chief  ^ot i npply  tor  the , mining  q 

' - .*  ,2_  , ' i¥ Mr 


i 


h 


' "1 


*• 


I • -^"(  k. 

i ‘fr  . f 


-A 


\ 

I^Bmi 

u 

[i 

ill 

'IH 

^n^>  3 ^5 

% 


From  St.  Paul  to  Manitoba. 


127 


the  mountains  beyond.  The  Hudson  Ray  Company  have 
here  an  important  post,  and  it  is  one  of  the  principal  sta- 
tions of  the  Northwest  Mounted  Police.  Lumber  is  easily 
obtainable  here,  as  it  is  floated  down  the  Bow  River  from 
Banff.  Parties  troino:  into  the  extreme  Northwest  leave 
the  train  here,  and  after  travelling  from  three  to  four 
hundred  miles  into  the  interior  they  find  the  largest  and 
best  horse-ranches  in  existence.  One  of  eleven  farms  be- 
longing to  Sir  John  Lister  Kaye  is  located  at  Calgary.  Sir 
John  married  Miss  Yznaga,  of  New  York.  As  we  passed 
through  Calgary  we  saw  his  car  standing  on  a side-track, 
he  having  recently  come  over  on  a visit  from  the  other 
side.  His  eleven  farms  are  located  along  the  line  of  the 
road  between  Brandon  and  Calgary  ; there  are  ten  thou- 
sand acres  in  each  of  them,  and  they  are  all  situated  near 
towns,  or  the  nucleus  of  towns,  and  will  eventually  be  ex- 
ceedingly valuable.  The  land  originally  cost  a large 
Lnglish  stock  company,  which  Sir  John  represents,  about 
$3  an  acre.  It  is  only  a question  of  time  before  it  will  be 
worth  from  $20  to  $25  an  acre  for  farming  purposes  alone  ; 
much  of  this  property  would  bring  that  price  to-day,  owing 
to  its  proximity  to  growing  towns.  Sir  John  visits  the 
farms  twice  a year  and  overlooks  the  work. 

After  leaving  Calgary  and  crossing  the  Bow,  we  ran 
through  large  ranches,  and  immense  herds  of  horses  and 
cattle  were  to  be  seen  on  every  side.  At  Morley,  a station 
near  the  mountains,  we  stopped  for  about  five  minutes  at 
a trader’s  store  and  picked  out  a number  of  horns,  heads, 
etc.,  and  a beautiful  grizzly-bear  skin.  At  Kananaskis  the 
mountains  appeared  to  be  close  at  hand,  and  we  entered 


128 


California  and  Alaska. 


the  gap  or  pass  through  which  the  Bow  River  runs,  and 
which  we  were  to  pass  through,  and  soon  crossed  the 
Rockies.  The  scenery  at  this  stage  of  the  journey  was 
grand  and  impressive.  Above  us,  on  both  sides,  we  saw 
vertical  walls  rising  to  a dizzy  height,  snow-laden,  seared 
and  scarred  by  enormous  gorges  and  promontories.  At 
Canmore  we  changed  engines,  and  here  had  an  excellent 
view  of  the  mountain,  representing  in  profile  what  are 
called  the  “ Three  Sisters.”  Following  the  Bow  River  we 
entered  the  Canadian  National  Park.  We  hauled  up  on  a 
side-track  and  waited  for  the  transcontinental  train  for 
the  East  to  pass.  The  weather  being  quite  warm,  we  took 
the  children  out  for  an  airing  ; some  of  the  party  amused 
themselves  by  firing  at  a mark,  while  others  made  use  of 
their  fishing-rods  in  Bow  River. 

The  ride  from  here  on  through  the  mountains  was 
grand  beyond  description.  Each  mountain  as  it  loomed 
up  into  view  seemed  grander  and  more  imposing  than  the 
last.  The  scenery  in  this  part  of  the  country  is  certainly 
more  magnificent  than  any  thing  we  had  dreamed  of.  As 
we  neared  the  summit,  an  altitude  of  five  thousand  three 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  Castle  Mountain  was  seen 
ahead,  a sheer  precipice  five  thousand  feet  high,  surmounted 
with  turrets,  bastions,  and  battlements  complete,  and  partly 
snow-capped.  At  the  summit  we  passed  by  a small  lake 
called  Summit  Lake,  in  which  were  vividly  reflected  the 
surrounding  mountains.  About  half  a mile  east  of  this  point, 
the  water,  as  it  trickled  down  the  mountain  side  and  entered 
the  ditch  on  the  side  of  the  road,  could  be  seen  to  divide, 
part  running  to  the  east  and  part  to  the  west.  From  here 


Mount  Stephen,  Canadian  Pacific 
Railway. 


138  California  and  Alaska. 


the  or  through  which  the  Bow.  River  rur  »nd 
which  wc  were  lo  pass  through,  and  soon  cross-  J the 
Rockies.  I'he  «r;n«;ry  at  this  stage  of  the  journey  was 
grand  and  ijnpresslve,  Above  us,  on  both  sides,  we  saw 
vertical  walls  rising  to  a dizzy  height,  snow-laden,  seared 
and  srarreti  by  enormous  gorges  and  promontories.  At 
Canmorc  we  changed  engines,  and  here  had  an  excellent 
^ >"W  of  the  mountain,  representing  in  profile  what  are 
orfled  ihe  /‘  Three  Sisters.”  Following  the  Bow  River  . we 
f ni  the  Canaiiian  National  Park.  We  hauled  up  on  a 
ii<lC"}".»t  k waited  for  the  transcontinental  train  for 
ill*  T’lr;  weather  being  quite  warm,  we  took 

L *->r  an  airing  ; some  of  the  party  amused 


• iw  i\.i\er. 


use  of 


IP  'Hiti  from  the  mountains  wa» 

rand  lK*yond  description.  Each  mountain  as  it  loomed 
into  view  seemod  grander  arid  more  imposing  than  the 
l««t  The  scenery  in  this  part  of  the  country  is  certainly 
•nore  magnificent  than  any  thing  we  had  dreamed  of.  A», 
' • neared  the  summit,  an  altitude  of  five  thousand  thrcil. 
Hundred  feet  alx»ve  tltc  .sea,  Castle  Mountain  was  seen 
4Krad,a  sheer  precipice  five  thousand  feet  high,  surmounted 
w-.iv.  lii'iPt  i,  bastions,  and  battlements  complete,  and  r>.*  fly 
sjiovv-Ci*]n>ed.  At  the  summit  we  passed  by  a sn,  bike 

called  Svmmii  Lake,  in  which  were  vividly  refl*  tlK 


surrounding  mc«unLains.  About  half  a mile  east  tl*'-*' 

the  water,  as  it  tfickk'd  dowTi  the  mountain  fid«  ' d 

the  datch  on  the  sick  of  the  road,  could  lx-  wide, 

part  running  to  the  east  and  part  to  the  we3.^  1 rbni  here 


1 


J'iezc  of  Special  I rain  at  Ineld,  Showing 
Alt.  Field  in  the  Distance. 


From  St.  Paid  to  Manitoba. 


1 29 


our  descent  was  rapid,  as  we  crossed  the  deep  gorge  of  the 
Kicking  Horse.  Here  the  scenery  is  sublime,  even  terrible. 
LookiniT  off  to  the  north  you  behold  one  of  the  grandest 
mountain  valleys  in  the  world,  stretching  far  away  in  the 
distance,  with  great  white,  glacier-bound  peaks  on  either 
side.  On  the  left  of  the  track  you  see  the  double  head  of 
Mount  .Stephen,  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  valley, 
and  get  an  occasional  glimpse  of  Cathedral  Mountain. 

The  grade  from  the  summit  is  so  steep  and  perilous  at 
this  point  that  a heavy  consolidation  engine  was  put  on 
ahead  of  our  locomotive,  and  we  were  taken  down  at 
a speed  of  not  over  ten  miles  an  hour.  Every  mile  or  so 
there  is  a switch  to  a track  leading  up  the  mountain  side  ; 
in  case  any  thing  should  occur  to  make  the  train  un- 
manageable, a switchman  stands  ready  to  open  the  switch, 
stop  the  train  in  its  downward  cour.se,  and  .send  it  up-hill, 
where  it  would  soon  stop.  At  Field,  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Stephen,  is  an  excellent  hotel  managed  by  the  railway 
company.  It  is  a favorite  stopping-place  for  sportsmen. 
Rocky  Mountain  sheep,  goat,  and  grizzly  bears  are  to  be 
found  in  lar^e  numbers  in  these  mountains.  We  remained 
here  a few  moments,  and  the  writer  took  a view  of  our 
train,  with  Mount  Field  in  the  distance  ; an  attempt  was 
made  to  take  it  with  Mount  Stephen  in  the  distance,  but 
the  latter  acclivity  was  too  high. 

Leaving  Field  we  crossed  the  Otter  Tail  River,  then 
the  Beaverfoot  at  the  left.  The  Otter  Tail  Mountains  rise 
abruptly  to  an  immense  height,  while  to  the  south,  to  an 
immeasurable  distance,  the  Beaverfoot  Mountains  can  be 
seen.  The  river  and  railway  here  enter  the  Kicking  Horse 

'7 


California  aitd  Alaska 


Canyon,  which  rapidly  deepens,  the  walls,  an  easy  stone’s 
throw  from  either  side,  rising  vertically  thousands  of  feet. 
The  railway  runs  for  twelve  miles  down  this  grand  chasm, 
now  crossing  over  to  ledges  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock, 
twisting  and  turning  in  every  direction,  while  towering 
cliffs  almost  shut  out  the  sunlight,  and  the  roar  of  the 
river  and  cars  is  increased  a hundred-fold  by  the  echoing 
walls,  until  the  train,  running  out  into  a valley,  suddenly 
emerges  into  daylight. 


Linuer  Kicking-Horse  Canyon, 
near  Golden. 


California  a7id  Alaska. 


Canyon,  Avhich  rapiJly  4e<?fx:n'i-.  ihf:  walls,  an  easy  stoncV 
throw  from  either  ri*>iag  vertically  thoubn  . ’ -of  feer. 
'I  hc  railway  run*  f**r  iwf'lv«*  miles  down  this  gran.l  chasm , 
now  crossing , ’r  - r to  ie«igcs  cut  out  of  the  solid  roeh 
twisting  Ju'.'i  '.timing  In  every  direction,  while  tower; 
cliffs  ahuv'St  out  tlie  sunlight,  and  tlie  roar  of  t- 

riv«*r  : .^r-v  t«  increased  a hundred-fold  by  the  echot 
t?,a}h  -li  **v  train,  running  out  into  a valley,  suddenly 
c etrr^'  s jnto  daylight.  ^ 

'■  c 


'i 


Canadiaji  Pacific  Railway  Station  and 
Mount  Donald  Glacier. 


P f I 


Wsi  '^'i^  7 

,'\^’nxAO  I 


CHAPTER  XVI!. 


MOUNTAINS  AND  GORGES  ON  THE  CANADIAN 
PACIFIC  RAILWAY. 


F'TER  we  passed  through  the  Kicking  Horse 


moving  northward,  and  obtained  our  first  glimpse  of  the 
celebrated  and  long-looked-for  Selkirks,  which  had  so  often 
been  the  subject  of  our  conversation,  and  which  we  had 
long  been  anxious  to  see.  Our  expectations  in  regard  to 
their  grandeur  were  not  to  be  disappointed,  for  on  the  day 
we  saw  them  they  presented  a noble  appearance,  as  they 
seemed  to  rise  from  their  forest-clad  bases,  and  lifted  their 
ice-capped  heads  high  into  the  sky  above.  In  form  they 
are  simply  incomparable,  and  as  they  stood  there  in  their 
matchless  majesty,  bathed  in  the  glow  and  warmth  of  the 
afternoon  sun,  they  called  forth  expressions  of  the  highest 
admiration  from  every  member  of  the  party. 

The  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  is  divided  into  four 
divisions,  the  Eastern,  the  Ontario  and  Atlantic,  the 
Western,  and  the  Pacific.  At  Donald,  which  is  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Pacific  Division,  we  changed  engines 


Canyon  and  entered  the  valley  we  saw  before  us 
the  Columbia  River,  a stream  of  great  width. 


Califoimia  and  Alaska. 


and  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  Mr.  Marpole,  the  Division 
Superintendent  of  the  road.  Here,  too,  we  were  compelled 
to  bid  good-by  to  our  friend  Mr.  Niblock,  who  had  accom- 
panied our  party  from  Swift  Current,  and  had  kindly  given 
us  details  and  descriptions  of  the  scenes  through  which  we 
had  passed,  and  which,  in  some  measure,  and  it  is  feared 
but  imperfectly,  have  been  transferred  to  these  pages. 

Donald  is  charmingly  situated  on  the  Columbia  River, 
within  the  very  shadow  of  the  Selkirks.  The  headquar- 
ters of  the  mountain  division  is  located  here,  with  the 
repair  shops,  etc.  At  this  point  the  traveller  changes  to 
“ Pacific  time” — the  time  goes  back  one  hour. 

Leaving  Donald  we  crossed  the  Columbia  River  and 
entered  the  Selkirks,  going  up  Beaver  River  and  crossing 
it  on  the  right  side  of  the  mountain.  The  ascent  was 
commenced  at  Bear  Creek,  one  thousand  feet  above 
Beaver  River.  At  this  point  a magnificent  view  is  had  of 
Beaver  Valley,  which  extends  off  to  the  south  until  it  is 
finally  lost  in  the  mountains.  From  here  a long  line  of 
the  higher  peaks  of  the  Selkirks  is  seen,  culminating 
in  that  lofty  mountain,  Sir  Donald.  The  railroad  here 
ascends  the  banks  of  Bear  Creek  at  a grade  of  one 
hundred  and  sixteen  feet  to  the  mile.  The  construction 
of  this  part  of  the  rpad  is  a triumph  of  engineering  skill  ; 
many  narrow  gorges  in  the  mountain  side,  the  pathways 
of  avalanches,  had  to  have  the  bridges  over  them  pro- 
tected. The  most  noticeable  of  these  bridges  was  the 
Stony  Creek  bridge,  the  highest  structure  of  the  kind  in 
the  world,  the  distance  below  the  rails  being  two  hundred 
and  ninety-five  feet.  We  found,  upon  inquiry,  that  the 


Moujit  Donald,  fivm  Tote  Road. 


i>  »■ 


fi 


L 


dfiU  Jl/asia\ 

-rr^  '•  ■ 

;««>i  rai4WfttUlii^  u of  oacHfnj^  Mr.  Marppl^  ihe  1 Jivlsirftj 
of  »*v>a<l.  H«rc,,io6,  we  were  cOusfK‘W'c?»f 
<*  Wi  to  <iur  /rJend  Mr.  N'ibk>cj^  who  hail 

^:^,4  : iiuf  |ian>*#it>m  Swift  Cuirent^.-uid  had kk^gi^. 
f . i*  \ iiUoAti  d^NfcHplions  of  the  Wne»  through. whjcfjg  wa 
hdJ  {•4.«^d,  txHl  which,  in  sonic  incuiun^-.ancl  »t  |a  iea|« 
t*Mi  have  been  iraijaft  rr^  to  th^ 

Uoruild  in  diArmingly  situated  on  the  Column bta^RTi^^ 
* iUj^n  ilMt  ^ ery  whadovr  of  the  Selkirks*  The  j.hoadic 
4 ilJt  dltifioa  »i  located  her^  \vi 


ti**?  t 


«^.pAfr ‘U»op«.  ««•>  At  polut  the  travelihr  chan/ 

* non.’  ’ -ihi  dave  g^^i  'back  one  hour.  . 

' jv/. 

5A*e^d  Wfr  croa  cd  the  Colutnbia  Ri 
now.r»i!l  !%((i  lkbi*A, f vf?< '0eav^  River  and/ 
it  uji  n^bt  thl*'  mountaia'^.Tbe  ascc^-^^..  ^ 

A I »hvT  . - snit  ^ niagnificerU  vvieMi:  is  h*«v 
|n  ks*  ''■-MlV'*-  wh>f,h  ofl[  t<^  the ’.south  uni 

iuirf  ii*  %\c  ptowot^soiL  From 'here  a longi 
i.44ki  ihi  ScUcifks  is^  seen,  culiriin 
JiT  (h;.;  U*ft>  ytountntn,  Sir  Donald#^.  The  ratlrphd 
.'.v<*rwin  ehr  luiniu  of  Bear  Cteck'at  a , grade  .^pf 
h »udxwd  and  Hixtejcn  fpei  co  uiUe,  .^The,..ponsti^^ 
of  thtf  j mrt  of  the  road  is  a truHi^pli  o/. 
n:uny  n.vrro^t'  gprg’^  in  "the  trH>^nta^  sM«^*the-p^ 
p4  .tvaluPfjcKrni  IumI  to  have  the  badges  ov^  th 
^Lhe  movt  noticeable  of  these  bridges  i 
*Midg«r.  the  lwght=n  of 

Ux  wonts  tlrst^iiiA  brjow  tfoj  rai]^  t>eiiig  tw:y 
and  mifeiyTiVe  feci.  ^ Wo  found,  u|xmi  inquiry,^ 


/a 


Stony  Creek  Bridge— Height,  2<p6  feet, 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway, 


•;i^n5A.  5^’SiVft^svxO 


Moimtains  and  Gorges. 


great  difficulties  of  the  railway  company  from  snow  in 
the  winter  season  occur  from  Hear  Creek  and  the  Summit, 
and  a similar  distance  down  on  the  other  side.  These 
bridges  are  protected  by  heavy  logs,  built  in  the  shape  of 
angular  piers,  and  so  placed  in  the  gorge  as  to  break  the 
slide  of  snow  and  subdivide  it  ; in  that  way  its  force  is 
lessened,  and  it  is  guided  away  under  the  bridges.  The 
snow-sheds,  which  we  entered  not  far  from  here,  cost  the 
company  over  $3,000,000.  They  are  open  on  the  side  for 
the  purpose  of  admitting  the  light,  and  are  completely 
equipped  with  hose,  etc.,  to  be  used  in  case  of  fire,  and  are 
guarded  by  men  day  and  night.  These  sheds  are  built  of 
heavy  squared  cedar  timber,  dove-tailed  and  bolted  to- 
gether, backed  with  rock,  and  fitted  into  the  mountain  side 
in  such  a manner  as  to  bid  defiance  to  the  most  terrific 
avalanche. 

As  we  ascend  the  mountain.  Bear  Creek  is  gradually 
compressed,  by  Mount  Macdonald  on  the  left  and  the 
Hermit  on  the  right,  into  one  narrow  deep  ravine,  which 
forms  a contracted  portal  to  Rogers’  Pass  at  the  summit. 
As  our  train  emerged  from  the  snow-sheds.  Mount  Mac- 
donald was  .seen  towering  a mile  and  a quarter  above  the 
railway  to  an  almost  vertical  height,  its  numberless  pin- 
nacles piercing  the  very  zenith.  As  Mr.  \'an  Horne  says 
in  describing  the  scene  : “Its  base  is  but  a stone’s  throw 
distant,  and  it  is  so  sheer,  so  bare  and  stupendous,  and 
yet  so  near,  that  one  is  overawed  by  a sense  of  immensity 
and  mighty  grandeur.  This  is  the  climax  of  mountain 
scenery.  In  passing  before  the  face  of  this  gigantic  preci- 
pice, the  line  clings  to  the  base  of  Hermit  Mountain,  and. 


134 


Califoimia  and  Alaska. 


as  the  station  at  Rogers’  Pass  is  neared,  its  clustered 
spires  appear,  facing  those  of  Mount  Macdonald,  and 
nearly  as  high.  These  two  matchless  mountains  were 
once  apparently  united,  but  some  great  convulsion  of 
nature  has  split  them  asunder,  leaving  barely  room  for 
the  railway.” 

This  pass  was  named  after  Major  A.  B.  Rogers,  by 
whose  adventurous  energy  it  was  discovered  in  1883  ; pre- 
vious to  that  time  no  human  foot  had  ever  been  planted 
on  the  summit  of  this  great  central  range.  The  pass  lies 
between  two  lines  of  huge  snow-clad  peaks.  The  pass 
on  the  north  side  forms  a prodigious  amphitheatre,  under 
whose  parapet,  seven  or  eight  thousand  feet  above  the 
valley,  half  a dozen  glaciers  may  be  seen  at  once,  and  so 
near  that  their  shining  green  fissures  are  distinctly  visible. 
The  changing  effects  of  light  and  shadow  on  this  brother- 
hood of  peaks,  of  which  The  Hermit  and  Macdonald  are 
the  chiefs,  can  never  be  forgotten  by  the  fortunate  travel- 
ler who  has  seen  the  sunset  or  the  sunrise  tinting  their 
battlements,  or  has  looked  up  from  the  green  valley  at 
a snow-storm,  trailing  its  white  curtain  along  their  crests, 
with  perchance  a snowy  peak  or  two  standing  serene 
above  the  harmless  cloud.  The  line  of  peaks  connecting 
Macdonald  with  Sir  Donald  stretches  to  the  south,  their 
rear  slopes  having  been  visible  in  ascending  the  Beaver. 
This  pass-valley  has  been  reserved  by  the  government  as 
a national  park. 

Leaving  .Selkirk  Summit,  the  road  commences  to  de- 
scend the  mountains,  and  off  to  the  right  is  seen,  for  many 
miles  far  below,  the  deep  valley  of  the  Illicilliwaet,  which 


(jreat  Glacier,  Canadian  Pacific  Railway. 


P;  ir  ' 

• , A .-  ■“ 


CaUfarnia  and  xUaskaH  ^ 

“'■“"  " ~m  ' 


-it 


>t>ircH  Tidwjgr  t)i03<i  Mouht  Mactlonak,  -..] 

A _ ■--■  • '^i._  » ''*nL\ 


n«df!y  asr^Iiij^  fheike^two  niatchle^vniiotinlluits’ wiai^ 


oiicf  s^iwcii^  iinucd.  bttt”*  some  great  c(%Wlsioitt 
nature  has  &pUt  fhein  asxmde^j^ leaving /^barely  rooci  for.' 
■the railway.”-  ■'  ^ ' ti’ 

eaTbt*  pass  was  named  after-  Major  A.  B.'ij  Rc^ei^  by 


I i J 


wKose  aefventurous  enriw  it  was  discovered  in  xSSt'iWe-  - 

• - ’ - ■»-  'JOf.  'spv  -'*■ 


vrous  to  that  time.no  human  foot  had  ever  btHcih 
r on  tii«  simuwit  of  this  great  central  range.  ^ Tbc.pa-»^^  J£ 


bietwoen  c^o  lit^  of  huge  snow-clad  peaks.  '’Th.-  §kw 
on  tbr  north  Kitde  forms  a prodigious  ^phitheatre,  utidofi  • 
y .j'  wh*,^-  pftr%piet«  *tevoh  or  . eight  thousand  feetrabowr  the  \ 'j 

II  ^ n vattpy.  hiii  a dtircQ  i/lacictk  may  Be^  s^n  at  once,  and  vor, 

^\\y;s50^  ; .^5fci^SwSsw 


Tb<^  rh4ftj^fig  e|#<jcti  of  light  and  shadow,  on  thi^  bit»ther- 
of  which  The  -Hermit  and  Macdonald  ^ 


the  chH;,  c.m  never^be  forgotten  by  the  fortunate  travel-  ^ 
who  has  seen  the  sunset  or  , the  sunrise  tinting  theii^ 
Wtlemiots  or.  has  looked  up  from  the  greenf**valley  at 
a snow-storm,  trailing  its  white ’curtain  alon^ their  crests,  ■'., 


with  perchance  a snOwy^  peak,  or  two  standin^'^  serene  ■ 
above  the  harmless  doud.'V’  .The  line’of  peaks  connecting*^ 


!i  M4cdonald'w^tii  Sir  Donald  stretches^  to  the  south;  tht-ir 
rea^.  slopj»,  haying  been  v-isible "in ^ascending. the  /, 

Thi»!^M*-valley  has  been  rc«»erv^|  by  the^dvtit^iAeiH  as 
a national  i^rark  v :v 


I Selkirk  Summit,  the  road  commences  to  d6*  ' 
^scend  the^^ooncal^ns;;and  off  to  the  right  b seen»  for  many,^  •i('^ 


vHp  ■ miles  far  befow.  the'  ck^vvalley  of  the  illicilliwaet,'  tvhich 


X! 


Glacier  Hotel  and  Mountain. 


Mountains  and  Gorges. 


135 


makes  its  way  westward,  following  a devious  course  through 
the  mountains.  The  line  of  the  railroad  can  easily  be 
traced,  until  it  finally  reaches  the  bottom  of  the  valley  by 
a series  of  extraordinary  curves,  doubling  upon  itself  again 
and  again.  Some  views  of  this  portion  of  the  road  are 
given. 

Directly  ahead  is  seen  the  Great  Glacier  of  the  Sel- 
kirks, a vast  plateau  of  sloping  ice,  extending  as  far  into 
the  mountains  as  the  eye  can  reach.  It  is  claimed  by  the 
Pacific  Railway  people  that  this  glacier  is  as  large  as  all 
the  glaciers  in  Switzerland  combined. 

We  passed  in  front  of  the  snow-sheds  on  an  outer 
track,  which  is  provided  so  that  travellers  may  view  the 
scenery  in  summer,  and  arrived  at  Glacier  Station  ; an 
illustration  of  the  snow-sheds  and  the  summer  track  is 
ofiven  herewith.  The  train  remained  at  the  station  about 
half  an  hour,  and,  as  we  did  not  have  time  enough  to  visit 
the  Great  Glacier,  our  party  all  left  the  train  and  took  a 
stroll  in  the  woods.  The  hotel  here  is  a very  handsome 
building,  after  the  .Swiss  chalet  style,  and  is  owned  and 
managed  by  the  railroad  company.  It  serves  not  only 
as  a dining-room  for  passengers,  but  also  as  a pleasant 
summer  resort  for  sportsmen  and  tourists.  Owing  to  the 
heavy  grades  here,  and  all  through  the  mountains,  the 
dining-cars  are  not  run  on  the  through  trains,  as  they 
make  the  trains  too  heavy  ; but  the  railroad  company  have 
provided,  at  proper  distances  and  at  the  most  interesting 
and  convenient  places  where  the  scenery  is  the  finest, 
comfortable  hotels,  where  passengers  are  able  to  get  an 
excellent  dinner,  the  trains  stopping  at  such  stations 


California  and  Alaska. 


136 


between  one  half  and  three  quarters  of  an  hour.  Pas- 
sengers are  also  allowed  to  remain  two  or  three  days  at 
a station,  or  lie  over  for  a train.  The  Great  Glacier  is 
about  half  a mile  distant  from  the  hotel,  and  only  a 
hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  building  ; a good  path 
has  been  made  to  it,  so  that  its  exploration  is  quite  practi- 
cable and  easy.  The  water  for  the  fountain  in  front  of 
the  hotel  is  furnished  by  piping  a stream  coming  out  from 
the  Great  Glacier.  This  stream  also  furnishes  water  for 
the  hotel  and  railroad.  The  agent  of  the  hotel  informed 
us  that  game  is  very  abundant  in  the  mountains  near  by, 
the  locality  being  especially  celebrated  for  the  big-horn 
sheep  or  mountain  goat  ; Canada  bears  are  also  killed 
here  during  the  season.  Elk,  deer,  and  other  game,  how- 
ever, are  not  found  at  quite  such  high  altitudes.  Views 
of  our  special  train  at  this  station,  together  with  views  of 
the  depot.  Great  Glacier,  Mount  Hermit,  and  the  valle}' 
below,  are  given  on  other  pages.  A tame  Canada  bear 
was  chained  to  the  piazza  of  the  hotel  ; he  had  been 
caught  in  the  mountains  five  months  before  we  saw  him, 
and  his  antics  furnished  considerable  amusement  to  pas- 
sengers during  their  stop  at  the  station. 

Leaving  the  Glacier  House,  the  road  makes  a rapid 
descent  to  the  celebrated  loop  of  the  Canadian  Pacific 
Railway.  The  line  makes  several  startling  curves  and 
twists,  crosses  the  valley,  then  doubles  back  to  the  right  a 
mile  or  more  to  within  a stone’s  throw  of  the  track,  then, 
sweeping  around,  crosses  the  valley  again,  and  at  last  con- 
tinues down  the  dell  parallel  with  its  former  course.  On 
looking  back,  the  railroad  track  is  seen  on  the  mountain 


Sailor  Bar  Bhtff,  belozv  Spuzzum, 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway. 


.-  . 

■f ' ' ,T^ 


■*^»  I 

^‘i^rni<t  <ntd  AUiiay%  &f^^h 

't  '■  >T‘  'S  ^ ^ - V-  '"-T-^^'  _I'r  .-, 

'■'  \3t:^/vii  »>v!*<i  SjU  amd  tWee  quaae«i  of  ar^  h<»i3t^ 

^ Hjpj  i.U<n**f!!d  to  rei^iv  fcw’V  three 
3 tv  for  a trgJtu  The  Great.  GJiJider  is 


V»f4:  ;Afi^*(u<>  TJio  vatcr  for  the  fountahx  iu  ffonteofjN 

:>  4^nn-dicd  by  pipmg  a strea^  coming  otjg^irOffii^  ^ 
,:  , V.^  Better  Thw  ;aream  afeo:  fi^uAe^ 

a«9^  r>^Jln<ad.  The  agent  of  hbt^'  .^o'u 
••♦  'Wi-  abimdaW  in  tfcyj;  mount^^^h^, 

'.K  celebraiedffb|”thi^  ^>itr-h 

;;Xai^  beats.  ajGB'*' 

.’  . . iML.  ~ • 


J 


JF*.  ,v-  • ' w„.  .... 

‘ f ^ '■*  pftfess...  -‘A-  t^-,Cm2^hf.jl^,3| 

‘€%C-  A,  ' hvd'jiyonths  -wfe. "1 


li 


Top  View,  Sailor  Bar  Bluff, 


137 


Mountains  and  Gorges. 

side,  cutting  two  long  parallel  gashes  in  the  mountain,  one 
above  the  other  ; far  to  the  left,  and  still  higher  above  on 
the  other  side  of  the  valley,  is  seen  the  giant  snow-shed, 
just  below  the  summit  near  Rogers’  Pass. 

At  Illicilliwaet  we  crossed  for  the  first  time  the  Illicil- 
liwaet  River.  The  stream  is  very  small  here,  but  the 
water  is  exceedingly  turbulent  and  of  a pea-green  color, 
caused  by  glacial  mud,  but  it  rapidly  clarifies  ; its  source  is 
said  to  be  in  the  interior  of  the  Great  Glacier.  The 
scenery  is  very  wild,  as  the  gorge  through  which  the 
river  runs  is  very  deep  at  places,  and  filled  with  the 
gigantic  forest-trees  for  which  British  Columbia  is  justly 
noted.  At  Albert  Canyon  the  train  often  runs  along  the 
brink  of  several  remarkably  deep  fissures  in  the  solid  rock, 
the  walls  of  which,  on  each  side,  rise  to  a height  of  one 
hundred  feet,  and  at  the  top  are  very  heavily  wooded. 
The  river  is  fully  three  hundred  feet  below  the  railway,  and 
is  compressed  into  a boiling  flume  not  more  than  twenty 
feet  wide.  We  had  our  train  stop  here  for  a few  minutes, 
while  we  walked  up  and  down  the  track  viewing  this  truly 
remarkable  freak  of  nature.  The  depth  of  the  water  must 
be  very  great,  as  the  gorge  through  which  it  flows  is  very 
narrow  and  the  volume  of  water  flowing  through  it  is 
enormous. 

At  Revelstoke,  a railway  divisional  point  on  the 
Columbia  River,  we  changed  engines.  We  had  seen  the 
Columbia  River  on  the  other  side  of  the  Selkirks  at 
Donald  ; since  then  it  had  made  a detour  around  the 
northern  extremity  of  the  Selkirks,  while  the  course  of  the 
railroad  is  directly  across  the  mountains.  At  this  point 


California  and  Alaska. 


138 

the  river  is  not  only  larger,  but  is  one  thousand  and  fifty 
feet  lower  down,  than  at  Donald.  From  this  point  it  is 
navigable  southward  some  two  hundred  miles,  down  to  the 
United  States  boundary,  where  it  expands  into  a number 
of  lakes,  around  which  there  is  said  to  be  a beautiful  and 
fertile  country,  where  opportunities  for  sport  are  also  un- 
limited. According  to  the  railway  officials  this  country 
has  been  rarely  visited  by  sportsmen  ; miners  are  about 
the  only  people  who  have  ever  penetrated  its  unknown 
recesses.  Kootenay  Lake  and  Valley  are  both  reached 
from  this  point. 

After  leaving  Revelstoke  we  crossed  the  Columbia 
River  upon  a bridge  about  half  a mile  long,  and  entered 
another  range  of  mountains  by  Eagle  Pass.  The  railway 
officials  call  particular  attention  to  this  pass,  which  is  so 
deep-cut  and  direct  that  it  seems  to  have  been  purposely 
provided  for  the  railway  in  compensation,  perhaps,  for  the 
enormous  difficulties  the  engineers  had  to  overcome  in  the 
Rockies  and  the  Selkirks.  The  highest  point  the  railway 
is  compelled  to  reach  in  crossing  this  range  is  only  five 
hundred  and  twenty-five  feet  above  the  Columbia.  At 
the  summit  four  beautiful  lakes  are  passed  in  quick  succes- 
sion, each  one  occupying  the  entire  width  of  the  valley 
and  forcing  the  railway  on  the  mountain  side  in  order  to 
pass  them.  This  valley  is  filled  with  a dense  growth  of 
immense  trees,  indigenous  to  this  coast — spruce,  Douglas 
fir,  hemlock,  cedar,  balsam,  and  many  other  varieties. 

At  Craigellachie,  twenty-eight  miles  from  Revelstoke, 
the  last  spike  was  driven  in  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway 
on  the  7th  of  November,  1885,  the  railroads  from  the  east 
and  west  meeting  here.  At  Sicamous,  situated  on  the 


Interior  of  Snow-Shed,  Canadian  Pacific 

Railway. 


fTH' 


• I'i 


/5' 


h*  .V 


WIT  Tl- 


i,T 


I - Vl-  I 


W '-^rr  '''^■- 

k%rma  an 4,  ^ 

■"  - --  ^ 


a.g  . 

' llw’  n*p  ^ 

iJhaB  i)Qt^<l  3e'  i5'^  tl^if  pcSit*|l  % 

__  fuivtjpiiS:^  ^Qltie  two  infk-s^^lVtQ:^^ ., 

^uioda^*  \vh^  it  cx^iu^jotp  a oUfljbiJT 
" ^fCMifml  which  there  is  sRitf-td  be  a be^iiful^  ' 

^OkiT  :.  tM-ff ’^Jflli.  It^  HUtLl^M 


i 


if 


^V /J'  • • where  bpportuie>^|i^  sport  arc 

^%''-  ^mw?usisL  Aixor4ii»^f  to  the  railway 

bat  bii«'n  i%r^y  viiiiiw4  by  >portsrflcnr  minef,s  aim 
th-  ;inly  p<x>jJe  who  have  ever  penetfaject  H^^ 

^ a ^ *’ecr»-*dt  Kocrt^tay  Lake  arid  Valley  are  bprfSixi^ 
thU  , V.  V 

kj  ' t • -.1  ' 7 *,  -ifJ  " -♦  ' 

4(evebtokre  we  clossi^r  the.  Colutabij 
' ’ 


"''■  " ¥ Mf. 


^«-.v 


l>  • < 


|v-i?vve.-c-  , 

for 

. <.(«<>.-*  •-•'  ii  ,/  *.-''ifees  the  erjj^Mieefs  bMAct  oveiico^tn^in^  th« 
K*i'.  *.  II!  V ,, ,;  j 5^  Sc]kifks.'**||'^  tjD^'l'aiJw^ 

* m i 0 reaciv,  in  < cirpssidj^  thji  rahjge^  Is  oni^:  iW^ 

wo4  twenty^fivc  fteet  the . CoItin^hSl  3i 

' i £?f.5‘  • . , - .,’k  , . 4' I ' ''  ’^*'S_ 

-liufl  fpuainitt  tow  f>eatiuful.  lakes  are  passed-  m<i:j^ick  suc<^ 
J.  'fcioa^  ^ffich/ond  occupy^g  Uic'  cnrire*^wi<ftfc^^^ 
tAuj-I  fon-ir.j*  the  railway  oii4  ^o  inotlin^hin  side  in  or^^  to 

* , ^'  ■ *j  ' '^  A ■ ^ ^ 

•,*n>  i^tL_  y his  wiley  i>  wTth  a danse  grewth^oitj 

. #7W«;  ii^  Iree^.  indijjrnous  .^0  this  coasr-^pruc^  D< -uyd^ 

■ Tork,  C‘-daf,  t^satn,  o^id  niapy 

{ . ®,eve!scoliw 

^ in  tl^e,Car4d^^,Pad6cKaj^ 

I K jVeverti^^  the  raiJfoa^  froi||i,^  eaj^ 

■ -a*i  ^ 4'.  ‘isc  At . Sm»:ticm|s,  sii^tcd''  on 


I A> 


■«, 


SIS 


*■•  4 •-' ' »*^*W  i 


Lr.c- 


A 


Hermit  Range,  from  Hotel,  Showin 
Ca7iadian  Pacific  Railway  Station. 


Iff* 


j'* 


( 


.t 


‘ \ 
■I 


t V A.  ^ 


139 


Mountains  and  Goi^ges. 

great  Shuswap  lakes,  we  reached  what  is  said  to  be  the 
centre  of  one  of  the  best  sporting  regions  on  the  Canadian 
Pacific  line.  Northward,  within  a day’s  journey,  caribou 
are  said  to  be  very  abundant.  Within  thirty  miles  to  the 
south  the  deer-shooting  is  probably  unequalled  on  this 
continent,  and  the  lakes  are  celebrated  for  their  large  trout. 

The  London  Times  has  well  described  this  part  of  the 
line  : “ The  Eagle  River  leads  us  down  to  the  Great  Shu- 
swap  Lake,  so  named  from  the  Indian  tribe  that  lived  on 
its  banks,  and  who  still  have  a ‘ reserve  ’ there.  This  is  a 
most  remarkable  body  of  water.  It  lies  among  the  moun- 
tain ridges,  and  consequently  extends  its  long  narrow  arms 
along  the  intervening  valleys  like  a huge  octopus  in  half- 
a-dozen  directions.  These  arms  are  many  miles  long,  and 
vary  from  a few  hundred  yards  to  two  or  three  miles  in 
breadth,  and  their  high,  bold  shores,  fringed  by  the  little 
narrow  beach  of  sand  and  pebbles,  with  alternating  bays 
and  capes,  give  beautiful  views.  The  railway  crosses  one 
of  these  arms  by  a drawbridge  at  Sicamous  Narrows,  and 
then  goes  for  a long  distance  along  the  southern  shores  of 
the  lake,  running  entirely  around  the  end  of  the  Salmon 
arm.”  Sicamous  is  the  station  for  the  Spallumsheen 
mining  district  and  other  regions  up  the  river  and  around 
Okanagan  Lake,  where  there  is  a large  settlement ; steam- 
boats ascend  the  river  thirty  miles,  and  a railway  is  pro- 
posed. “ For  fifty  miles  the  line  winds  in  and  out  the 
bending  shores,  while  geese  and  ducks  fly  over  the  waters, 
and  light  and  shadow  play  upon  the  opposite  banks.  This 
lake,  with  its  bordering  slopes,  gives  a fine  reminder  of 
Scottish  scenery.  The  railway  in  getting  around  it  leads 
at  different  and  many  times  towards  every  one  of  the 


140 


California  and  Alaska. 


thirty-two  points  of  the  compass.  Leaving  the  Salmon 
arm  of  the  lake  rather  than  go  a circuitous  course  around 
the  mountains  to  reach  the  southwestern  arm,  the  line 
strikes  through  the  forest  over  the  top  of  the  intervening 
ridge  [Notch  Hill].  We  come  out  at  some  600  feet  eleva- 
tion above  this  ‘ arm,’  and  get  a magnificent  view  across 
the  lake,  its  winding  shores  on  both  sides  of  the  long  and 
narrow  sheet  of  water  stretching  far  on  either  hand,  with 
high  mountain  ridges  for  the  opposite  background.  The 
line  gradually  runs  downhill  until  it  reaches  the  level  of 
the  water,  but  here  it  has  passed  the  lake,  which  has  nar- 
rowed into  the  [south  branch  of  the]  Thompson  River, 
d'hen  the  valley  broadens,  and  the  eye,  that  has  been  so 
accustomed  to  rocks  and  roughness  and  the  uninhabited 
desolation  of  the  mountains,  is  gladdened  by  the  sight  of 
grass,  fenced  fields,  growing  crops,  hay-stacks,  and  good 
farm-houses  on  the  level  surface,  while  herds  of  cattle, 
sheep,  and  horses  roam  over  the  valley  and  bordering  hills 
in  large  numbers.  This  is  a ranching  country,  extending 
far  into  the  mountain  valleys  west  of  the  Gold  Range  on 
both  sides  of  the  railway,  and  is  one  of  the  garden  spots 
of  British  Columbia.  . . . The  people  are  compara- 

tively old  settlers,  having  come  in  from  the  Pacific  coast, 
and  it  does  one’s  heart  good,  after  having  passed  the  rude 
little  cabins  and  huts  of  the  plains  and  mountains,  to  see 
their  neat  and  trim  cottages,  with  the  evidences  of  thrift 
that  are  all  around.” 

Many  of  our  party  compared  the  scenery  around  Shu- 
swap  Lake  to  the  country  about  Lake  George,  but  the 
landscape  in  the  former  locality  is  on  a very  much  larger 
and  grander  scale. 


% 


Supply  or  Tote  Road,  nea?'  Spanish 

River. 


<cKlrty-4;wo  powKS  t>l  ihcr*  ShI 


f9‘- 


LV 


>>■" 


«a. 


•■•;%'■ 


r 


‘,T  ann  nf  th^  Ukif  njilter  th«« 

the  mountains  to  reach  *h<»  ^ouchwesteni  arm,  the^line" 
^/J'^strikc's  thnnigh  ihc  fore^ii  m^  the  topof  the  inwrveiung 

[Notch  HUt].  We  4'.»v>uj  out  at  some  600  feet  fleura-  J 
tion  dhov«  ihitii ' arm/  iui»i  get  a magnificent  view  acro»  \ 
the  Uh>i*  iU  'binding  shoeeakon  both  sides  of  the  long  and. 

'1  -**  , 

V narw»w  sheet  of  water  t retelling  far  on  either  hand,  wjth 
high  mountain  ridges  for  the  opposite- backgix>uii)fii;;  ifhej^^* 

■*  Uu<-  griiUuHy  runs  downhill  untih  it  reaches  the 
•fi  tK»  wnier  hut  tmre  it  has  }>assed  the  lake,  which  Has  nhr-. 

^,4  • A ^ r . ( «'  * ■ 

\ ei<iv  liui.  [v>ofh  branch  of  the]^rhompson 

f’l.-fi  ^^ir.r'fr/Srt^^dens,  and  the  eye,  that  has%j^h  M 

and  roughness  and ,. -the  uninhabited/  * 
k',  d.  l•lountanna,  Is  gladdenedr  by  the 

?he  Icvd^^r^^i^.  while  herds  of^cattl^- 
f it.  't>am  ovS"  tie  valley  and  bordcri^.  hiils^  /*  T 

\ti  Hw;;*r  n*»^rd>«!aesl*  *This  m a ranching  country,  ( xtendihg?  ^ 
tar  he  modxitain  valleys,  west  of  the  Gold  Range, 00  / 
b<7tl^.Hwtns  of  the  railway,  and  is  one  of  the  garden 
/‘of  R»4lkh  Columbia.  ► • The  people  arc  compahifT; 

tivelv  old  '^ttltlers  having  come  in  from  the  Pacific  coast, , , 
and  it  rk>cs  onek  heatt  gtKxl,  after  having  passed  the  tSide 

If'  . ’ 

luilocabim  and  huts  M rlie  plains  and  mouncaiiip;^  to  see 

neat  and  wtti  with  the  evidenacMiof 

that  are  all  around.”  , 7!'  ■ ^ 

Mojoy  of  our  party  chiiiiMrcd  the  scenery  around 

•' 

!iwap  f-odte-  CO  the  country  •t-i>out:  Lake  George, 

Jbu>dsca}>e  ui.  the  former  locality' is  on  a very  much._ 
and  grander  scakr.  '‘‘aai,’ 


* f 


Mountain  Cj'eek  Bridge,  Coittaining 
i , joo,ooo  feet  Timber,  Canadian 
Pacifi c R a il way. 


- V 


I 


, , ^ 


i 


,'^^VnV\  \U5i\s\^VQ»\IV 

s\'s^\WiWv^3  ^v\ooo,oo'^,\ 

.vm;>Aui‘7\ 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

FROM  KAMLOOPS  TO  VANCOUVER. 

WH  remained  at  Kamloops  one  night,  that  being 
a divisional  point,  and  after  changing  engines 
early  in  the  morning,  we  started  for  Vancouver. 
Kamloops  now  has  a population  of  about  one  thou- 
sand. It  was  settled  years  ago  as  a Hudson  Bay  post, 
and  is  the  principal  town  in  the  Thompson  River  Valley, 
and  the  largest  that  the  traveller  passes  through  until 
he  arrives  at  Vancouver.  The  Thompson  River  is  seen 
here ; many  steamboats  ply  up  and  down  the  stream,  and 
we  noticed  a number  of  saw-mills  along  the  shore.  The 
Chinese  are  largely  employed  here  to  do  the  rougher  sort 
of  work.  The  grazing  on  the  hills  in  the  background 
is  said  to  be  very  fine.  Cattle  are  left  out-of-doors  all 
winter,  the  climate  being  very  much  milder  than  it  is  two 
or  three  hundred  miles  westward.  Kamloops  is  the  supply 
point  for  the  large  ranching  and  mineral  country  to  the 
south,  which  is  reached  by  stage  lines  running  semi-weekly 
from  the  town  into  the  districts  beyond. 

Just  after  leaving  Kamloops  the  river  widens  and  forms 
Kamloops  Lake.  The  railroad  crosses  to  the  southern 

141 


142 


California  and  Alaska. 


shore,  now  entering  a tunnel,  now  passing  over  a trestle, 
in  a way  to  remind  the  traveller  very  much  of  the  Dela- 
ware and  Hudson  road  on  the  west  shore  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain. As  the  lake  narrows  into  the  river  the  railroad 
enters  a series  of  tunnels.  From  this  point  to  Port 
Moody  on  the  Pacific  coast  the  road  was  built  by  the 
Dominion  Government  and  transferred  to  the  railway 
company  in  1886.  While  the  road-bed  of  this  section  is 
very  well  built,  the  sides  and  slopes  of  the  same  are  not 
fully  protected,  and  the  company  are  constantly  troubled 
with  landslides  from  above,  and  the  sinking  of  the  track 
from  below,  owing  to  the  “ quicksandy  ” nature  of  the  soil. 
The  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  Company  claim  a million 
dollars  or  more  from  the  government  in  order  to  make 
this  portion  of  the  road  equal  to  the  rest  of  their  line.  It 
certainly  did  appear  to  our  party  as  a very  inferior  kind  of 
work  compared  with  what  we  had  seen  on  the  part  of  the 
line  we  had  travelled  over.  The  scenery  on  this  portion 
of  the  road  and  along  the  Thompson  River  is  at  first  very 
wild  and  picturesque,  but  soon  becomes  exceedingly  unin- 
teresting. There  is  very  little  vegetation  to  be  seen  on 
either  side  of  the  river — nothing,  in  fact,  but  round-topped, 
treeless,  and  water-cut  hills,  the  color  of  which  varies  from 
the  richest  yellow  to  a reddish-gray,  or  iron-ore,  with  here 
and  there  a few  masses  of  olive-green  color,  caused  by  the 
scanty  vegetation.  Shortly  after  leaving  Kamloops  Lake, 
as  the  train  went  round  a curve,  where  the  bank  overhung 
the  track,  and  we  were  all  standing  on  the  platform,  we 
were  suddenly  startled  by  a large  bird  which  alighted  near 
to  us,  and  settled  on  the  railing  of  the  platform.  We  were 


Forest  Trees,  English  Bay,  Vancottver. 


(California  artd^  Alaska. . '4 


>ihor.:.  now  a now  passihg-*ovcr  a rn- 

iii  « way  tb  ihe  traveller  yei^  much  of  thcj 


wa«*i  «mi  »roid  o the  west  shore  of  Lake  Ch: 


pWn.  «^s»  the  laic*  ruirrows.  ;nt;o.  tlie  river  tho  railrc 
enicN  a !«crictt  of  tunnels.  From  .this^  point  to,^ 
'-McHHVy  oii  the -Fadfic  coast  the*  roatj;  was  built, by  .1 

■ -JJ  , ■ ■■  ' w ' •■  ; yrf  * * ■ - . 

riominion  Government' and  transfeitca  to,  the  rnllvrai 
cr*m\Muy  b iSSd,  Whiki*  the  road^t^d  of  this  scctio^^ 
very  well  buJlt,  the  sidea  and  slopppf  thpsan^e  ;rc 
.lolly  pitJtcrctwb  and  the  cotnpahy  are  constantl]^:  i oubl 
Wh18^ from  abov<^jahd  the  sinking  of  the^tr? 
(foM  btlnw,  owing-iO’the  quick$andy  '*  nat.ure  of  ;he^< 
Thp  kftcific  RaihvayrCbtnpany  claim  a nu® 

doitars  or  mort  (conr  the  government  in  order"  to’ ni; 


>UCtea 


^ fUQH 

W the  «i6id«qual  to  the  rest  of  theif'^lihe^ 


l\ 


«9-.jcny  with  what  we  had  seen  on  the. part  of  t 

iijvc  wt  travclkd  over.  The  scenery  on  this  ;K>r 
of  Uwt  to.\dand  alimg  the  Thompson  Ri^r  i^  at  hrstjve 
^MTiWaisd  picturi^ue,  but  soon  becomes  exceedingly  uu 
■tta^esting.  l-here  ia  very  little  vegetatiop  to  berseen-^ 
etibcr  side  of  the  river — npdikg, ria  fact,  but  uuifd-top 
• treeless,  and  waiter*cut  hills,  the  color  of  which  varips^ 
the  richest  yellow  to  a r*nl<Hsh-gray,  or  iron-ore;,  witbV: 
aitd  thofva  few  masse#  of  oUve^een  color,  caus^ 
«:anty  vegetation,  Shoitfy  leaving  Kamloops  L-a 
a#  the  tt'Afu  went  round  a curve,  where. the  bank'overi’m; 
the  tnack,  and  wc  were  all  s landing/ on  the  platfornfc 
tvt^  eoddeniy  startled  b>*  a la^  bird  which  alights^ n 

to  aa,  and  set tied  Oft  the  railing  of  the  platform.^  We  we 

of'^  ' ri  ..  ■ tc 


4c 


f) 


From  Kamloops  to  Vancouver. 


H3 


so  surprised  that,  for  a few  moments,  we  did  not  realize 
what  it  was ; it  proved  to  be  a large  partridge.  Had 
any  of  us  been  quick  enough  we  might  have  caught  it 
without  any  trouble ; as  it  was,  when  we  attempted  to 
catch  it,  it  flew  off  into  the  brush.  We  stopped  the  train, 
and  getting  our  shot-guns  started  in  pursuit,  thinking  that 
there  might  be  other  game  in  the  neighborhood,  which 
would  have  proved  a very  palatable  addition  to  our  larder. 
We  had  no  success,  however,  though  the  little  incident 
afforded  us  considerable  diversion. 

At  Lytton,  at  the  confluence  of  the  Thompson  and 
Fraser  rivers,  the  scenery  is  very  grand.  Six  miles  below 
here  our  train  crossed  the  Fraser  River,  a steel  cantilever 
bridge  being  at  that  point.  The  scenery  here  became 
wilder  as  the  gorge  deepened  and  the  size  of  the  river 
increased.  The  banks  were  steep  and  rugged,  their  tops 
covered  with  a dense  growth  of  trees.  The  old  govern- 
ment road  continues  along  the  F'raser  River,  twisting 
and  turning  about,  now  passing  under  the  railroad, 
then  along  by  its  side,  sometimes  many  hundred  feet 
above  the  road  until,  at  Cisco,  it  is  forced  to  the  height 
of  over  one  thousand  feet  above  the  river.  It  is  said 
that  the  width  of  the  road  here  is  not  sufficient  to 
allow  two  teams  to  pass,  and  that  it  is  held  in  place  by 
iron  rods,  or  bridge-trusses,  inserted  in  the  mountain 
side. 

Mr.  Marpole  informed  us  that  it  was  not  uncommon  to 
see  Indians  on  the  projecting  rocks  down  at  the  water’s 
edge  spearing  salmon,  or  capturing  them  with  scoop-nets  ; 
the  salmon  are  dried  on  poles  and  sold  to  Chinamen. 


144 


California  and  Alaska. 


Along  the  river  on  the  sandy  channel  piers  Chinamen  and 
Indians  are  occasionally  seen  washing  for  gold,  and  many 
of  the  inhabitants  on  the  banks  of  the  stream  gain  their 
subsistence  from  what  little  gold  they  find  in  washing  the 
gravel.  They  are  a lazy,  thriftless  class  of  people,  washing 
for  gold  two  or  three  days  in  the  week,  and  living  on  the 
proceeds  for  the  remainder  of  the  time. 

This  road  was  originally  built  by  the  government  of 
Columbia  for  the  convenience  of  miners  above  Lytton, 
where  enormous  quantities  of  gold  were  originally  taken 
out  by  washing.  At  North  Bend  we  stopped  to  change 
engines,  and  all  the  party  got  off  the  train  and  visited  the 
hotel,  which  is  owned  by  the  railroad  company  ; here  we 
saw  another  tame  brown  Canadian  bear,  which  afforded 
the  children  great  amusement.  During  the  day  we 
stopped  the  train  at  many  points  along  the  Fraser  River, 
where  the  line  crosses  large  canyons,  on  trestles.  The 
scenery  from  North  Bend  to  Yale,  twenty-six  miles,  has 
been  described  as  not  only  intensely  interesting,  but  start- 
ling, even  “ ferocious.”  The  volume  of  water  in  the  river 
being  so  large,  and  the  walls  at  the  sides  coming  out  close 
together,  the  stream  is  compressed  into  a roaring  torrent. 
At  Spuzzum  the  government  road  crosses  the  chasm  by  a 
suspension  bridge,  at  the  side  of  the  railway  bridge,  and 
keeps  close  to  it  all  the  way  to  Yale.  Here  the  railroad 
runs  through  a series  of  five  or  six  tunnels.  It  should  be 
stated  that  this  government  road  has  been  rendered  almost 
absolutely  valueless  for  wagons,  from  the  fact  that,  wher- 
ever the  railroad  crosses  it,  no  means  have  been  provided 
for  passing  the  road,  either  above  or  around  the  railway  ; 


Dotiglas  Firs,  on  V ancouver  Town  Site. 


Tj-rr 


Calif 0mia  y^and  Ajdskd, 


Aleitg  tb^  rlyttr  bn  the  sandy  channel  piers  Cbinntnen  <i*d  , 
occasionally  scen’washini^^dr  'golldi-^ 
hi  ifthiibiumts  on  the  banks  of  thestreato'  g^itf^^ 

it'  * ► ' .•  • 

“ub>MtJClRr  from  what  little  gold  theyvfind  in^washirtKtht*^ 


■ ^r^vdL-^They  area  laxy,  thriftless  class  of  people,  vvas 
*(,  ^ rvi-o  or  three  days  in  the  week,  and  livmg  on 

& procetds  for  the  remainder  of  the  time. > ^ 


i'liis  road  was  originally  built  by  tlie  ^ov^nme/ 


[of 


('»>iu£nbva  for  the  convenience  of  miners  above  Lyfct!^ 
wbi?r<:  *>ii<trmous  c|uantities  of  gold  were  originally 
dot  by  ti  yshingw  At  North  Bend  vw  stopped-  tci^*«  iian^ 

^ .ill  the  party  got  off  the  l^in  an 

Hold.  *'*hiih  i<t^owne<I  by  the  railros^  company:;’ hexetw 
eaw  antwtif  r tame  hrowm  Canadianobear,.  which ‘^affordl^ 
dfse  ohiJdben  great ' amusement.  During'  the:  da^^ 

wi4ere'  lHc  hnv  crosses  large  canyons,  on  ti^stles.  T 
>ccnery  from  North  Bend  to  Yale,,  twei^-six- miltj^h 
‘H«cn  descrilved  as  ?K>t  only  intensely.interestJhj^bur  .st 
Kngi  eVsm  '*  ferocious"  The  volume  of  vyatet;  in  the  : 'v 
liHng  50  large,  and'the  walls  at  the  sides  coming  out  c 
^ togrthor,  the  stream  is  compressed  into  a roanng.  r. 


%»uz2um  the  government  road  crosses  the  chi 

.1  * ^ r , f'.’  ^1. 

anion  bridge,  the  side  of  the  railway  bridj 


^1a 


clo«e  to  it  all  the  way  to  Yale.  Here  the  *>!r< 

■ 4b 4 through, a itcrics  of  live  or  six  tdiihebi.  It  slrou^jlb^ 
s#Wrd  that  thrs  government  road  haa  been  render^ alihos 
jK.'i  Meiy  vajoel<^  for  wagons? from,  the  fact  tha^ 
l^.es'er  fh»  railroad  Cr04fc4  it,  nb  me^s  have  been’ pro’^ide^t 
\he  Axid, 'cither- abdve  or  around  the'^riiih 


I 


Roadway  in  Staiiley  Park,  Vancozroer. 


m N(^w\s5^Q>S\ 


5 


From  Kamloops  to  V ancouvcr.  145 


pack-trains  can  now  cross,  but  they  are  compelled  to  climb 
steep  trails  in  order  to  get  around  these  places. 

Yale  is  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Fraser  River. 
At  New  Westminster  Junction  there  is  a branch  line  to 
the  important  town  of  New  Westminster,  a town  of  some 
five  thousand  inhabitants,  on  the  Fraser  River,  about  eight 
miles  distant.  When  we  passed  through  here,  this  road 
was  being  constructed  to  Seattle,  and  it  was  expected  that 
before  long  through  connection  by  rail  could  be  had  with 
that  town. 

We  reached  Port  Moody,  at  the  head  of  I3urrard  Inlet, 
about  two  o’clock  on  the  afternoon  of  May  17th.  At  one 
time  this  was  the  last  station  of  the  railroad,  and,  on  that 
account,  was  quite  a settlement ; but  it  is  now  very  much 
dilapidated  and  run  down,  owing  to  the  terminus  having 
been  removed  to  \"ancouver.  As  the  railroad  sweeps 
down  here  to  the  shore,  we  could  once  more  see  the 
Pacific  coast  and  salt  water,  an  outlook  which  was  truly 
refreshing  after  such  a continuous  stretch  of  mountain 
scenery.  Snow-tipped  mountains  were  to  be  seen  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  inlet,  beautiful  in  outline  and  color, 
especially  so  on  the  afternoon  when  we  saw  them  in  the 
sunlight.  Here  and  there,  at  intervals,  on  the  opposite 
coast,  saw-mills  and  villages  were  to  be  seen.  At  one  or 
two  of  the  villages  there  were  ocean  steam-ships  at  the 
wharves  being  loaded  with  the  celebrated  Douglas  fir, 
which  is  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  These  trees  are 
found  twenty,  thirty,  and  even  forty  feet  in  circumference. 

Our  speed  on  this  particular  day  was  necessarily  slow, 

owing  to  the  fact  that  this  section  of  the  road  is  considered 

19 


146 


Califo7'nia  and  Alaska. 

very  dangerous,  and  is  about  the  only  part  on  which  any 
accidents  ever  occur ; at  one  moment  the  road-bed  over- 
hangs a river,  on  trestle-work  or  embankment,  and  the 
next  moment  enters  a short  tunnel,  only  to  reappear  again 
on  another  trestle. 

After  our  arrival  at  Vancouver,  Mr.  Harry  Abbott, 
the  General  Superintendent  of  the  western  end  of  the 
road,  called  upon  us  with  his  wife,  and  extended  to  us 
the  courtesies  of  the  road  at  this  terminus. 

On  the  morning  after  our  arrival  we  took  a carriage 
and  drove  over  the  town,  going  through  the  new  park, 
which  promises  some  day  to  be  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
coast.  The  trees  here  are  enormous,  and  the  growth 
might  be  called  a primeval  forest,  which  it  really  is,  with 
the  underbrush  taken  out. 

Vancouver,  the  Pacific  terminus  of  the  railway,  is  com- 
paratively a new  town,  and  reminds  one  of  the  growth 
of  such  Western  towns  as  Duluth  or  Great  Falls.  Until 
May,  1886,  its  present  site  was  covered  with  a dense 
forest.  The  following  July  a severe  fire  swept  away  every 
house  in  the  place  but  one  ; all  the  buildings  now  standing 
have  been  erected  since  that  date.  The  hotels,  business 
blocks,  and  residences  are  of  the  most  approved  architec- 
ture, and  would  be  a credit  to  any  city  in  the  United 
States.  Large  and  extensive  wharves  have  been  built  by 
the  railroad  company  and  private  corporations,  and  the 
town  promises  to  develop  into  one  of  the  future  cities  of 
the  Pacific  coast.  The  paved  streets  are  well  laid  out,  and 
lighted  with  electricity.  A plentiful  supply  of  pure  water 
is  brought  through  large  pipes,  laid  across  the  harbor, 
from  a spring  in  the  mountains  on  the  other  side  of  the 


V ancouver^  from  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way Docks. 


1 4'^  Cnlifontia  and  Alaska. 


I 


vcn-  anil  ir.  about  the  only  pari  i n which  an./’ 

, acciJ'-f.’.';  cvitT  o<ciif-4  *at  one  moment  the  road-l>ed  over- 
hani:*^  a am  treSitk-work  or  embankment,  and  ••he 

next  irjtuaent  enteicji  a short  tunnel,  only  to  reappear  again 
on  another  tr''.s».k, 

Afu.-r  our  arrival  at  Vancouver,  Mr.  Harry  Abljott*^ 
thr  <'.eneral  Superintendent  of  the  western  end  of  t 
road,  called  upon*  us  wlth_  his  wife,  and  extended  to  ut? 
the  councsios  of  the  road  at  this  terminus. 

On  the  morning  after  our  arrival  we  took  a carria> 
an*l  drovr  over  the  town,  going  through  the  new  pa 
whi.-h  p:>-m\sc5  some  day  to  be  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
y.QA'\,  fHi  int  i hpre  are  enormous,  and  the  growtlt 
might  i t.  ; primeval  forest,  which  it  really  is,  withj 

‘ und'  rhni.>5  takfcn  out.  ■ 

■Vss.‘A  ti'Kn&A 

V tow’n,  and  reminds  one  of  the  growlii 
’•  rr  or  Great  Falls.  Unit!, 

lib  present  site  was  covered  with  a ‘ki^. 
i n<;  following  July  a severe  fire  swept  away  evo 
louv  In  the  place  but  one  ; all  the  buildings  now  stand 
have  {•’cen  erected  since  that  date.  The  hotels,  bu-sk^- 
blorks  and  residences  are  of  the  most  approved  archi^w*' 
ind  would  be  a cj’edit  to  any  city  in  the  Unii-sd 
Sr.itfv  f .arge  and  extensive  wharves  have  been  built  fey 
rruiruad  company  and  private  corporations,  and  the 
tr  vi  'i  promi.scA  to  develop  into,  .one  of  the  future  cities  of 
r I’  v.'bc  coasi.  The  jKivcd  streets  are  well  laid  out,  arid, 
liyhicfi  with  iricity,  A plentiful  supply  of  pure  water 

pipes,  laid  acrass  the  harbor, 

* - I in  the  mountains  on  the  other  side  of  llic 


Stea mer  ‘ ‘ Islander. 


Frovi  Kamloops  to  Vancoitve7\  147 


sound.  The  country  to  the  south  of  Vancouver  has  many 
fine  farms,  and  is  said  to  be  well  adapted  to  fruit-growing. 
Many  parties  remain  here  for  the  shooting  and  fishing, 
both  of  which  are  excellent,  and  can  be  had  by  making 
short  excursions  into  the  mountains  towards  the  north. 
A regular  line  of  steamers  leaves  Vancouver  every  day  for 
Victoria,  fortnightly  for  Japan,  Yokohama,  and  Hong 
Konsi,  and  twice  a week  for  Seattle,  Tacoma,  and  other 
Puget  Sound  ports.  The  city  is  beautifully  located  on  a 
slight  eminence,  overlooking  the  sound,  with  Burrard 
Inlet  on  the  north. 

About  one  o’clock  on  the  afternoon  of  May  i8th,  the 
Islander,  which  had  been  engaged  for  our  party,  steamed 
into  the  harbor,  having  just  come  from  Victoria  in  the 
morning.  This  vessel  was  a twin  propeller  boat,  two 
hundred  and  forty  feet  in  length,  forty-two  feet  beam, 
and  sixteen  feet  draught,  with  tremendous  power,  and 
was  capable  of  making  about  nineteen  miles  an  hour. 
Captain  John  Irving,  the  manager  of  the  line,  had 
charge  of  the  vessel,  and  our  pilot  for  Alaskan  waters 
was  the  veteran  Captain  Carroll,  the  most  celebrated 
pilot  on  the  Pacific  coast,  who  was  one  of  the  pio- 
neers, and  had  made  one  hundred  and  seventy  trips  to 
Alaska.  He  had  become  very  wealthy,  and  was  largely  in- 
terested in  mines,  etc.  VVe  had  also  a very  old  pilot,  an 
employe  of  the  steamship  company ; from  the  nautical 
point  of  view  we  considered  ourselves  very  well  pro- 
vided for.  The  accommodations  for  passengers  were 
ample ; the  boat  had  about  one  hundred  state-rooms,  the 
manager’s  room  being  large  and  roomy,  and  the  other 
apartments  very  comfortable. 


California  and  Alaska. 


148 

The  greater  part  of  the  afternoon  was  occupied  in 
placing  our  baggage  aboard  and  in  getting  thoroughly  and 
comfortably  settled.  About  half-past  four  o’clock  we  cast 
off  from  the  wharf  and  started  on  our  trip  to  Alaska.  The 
weather  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  neither  too  warm  nor 
too  cold,  bright  and  sunny,  and  a fair  omen  of  the  journey 
we  were  about  to  make. 

We  took  the  cooks  and  stewards  with  us,  and  left  the 
rest  of  the  crew  on  the  train.  The  weather  was  so  fine  that 
we  were  able  to  sit  on  the  upper  deck  until  dinner-time, 
and  at  ten  o’clock  at  night  it  was  light  enough  for  us  to 
read  a newspaper  on  deck.  The  view  of  Mount  Baker, 
with  its  snow-capped  peak,  in  the  distance  about  sunset, 
was  magnificent. 


Interior  of  Steamboat ^ on  Trip  to  Alaska. 


1 48  Cal t fomui^  and  A laska . # 

«y  * 

> , ii  *w  ■ ' 

^ . a£'  ' . . 

The  greater  f'art  of  the  afternopa  was  occupied  Tn^ 
placing:  our  baggage  aboard  and  in  getting  thorot:ghly  and 
comfortaWy  settled  About  half<p^  four  o’clock  cast  s 
off  from  the  wharf  and  started  ph  our  trip  to  Alaskau  Th© 
weather  was  al)  that  could  be  deaircdi  neither  too  warm  nor? 

'if  , ‘ ^ — “ 

too  cold,  bright  and  snimy,  and  a fair  omen  of  the  jouri 
wo  were  al»out  to  make.  ^ ^ 

We  took  the  cooks  and  stewards  with  us,  and  left  the 
rest  of  the  crew  on  the  train.  The  weather  was  so  fine  that' 
we  were  able*  to  wit  on  the  upper  deck  until  cJmner-ti; 
and  at  ten  o'clfs’k  at  night  it  was  light  enough  for  u^  to 
read  A 'nc«*»p«|»er  on  deck.-  The  view  of  Mount  Hak^ 
wVSb  ks  peak,  in  the  distance  about  sun 


mii 


Typical  View  along  the  Coast  of  Alaska-. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

IN  ALASKAN  WATERS. 

ON  the  night  of  the  iSthwe  sailed  through  Discov- 
ery Passage,  where  at  places  there  is  hardly 
room  for  two  steamers  to  pass  each  other,  and 
mountains  rise  up  abruptly  on  each  side.  At  half-past 
nine  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  we  reached  Alert  Bay, 
and  from  there  steamed  on  northward,  passing  the  north 
end  of  Vancouver  Island,  out  into  Queen  Charlotte  Sound. 
Although  the  wind  was  blowing  lightly  at  the  time  there 
was  quite  a heavy  swell ; it  took  us  only  two  hours,  how- 
ever, to  go  across.  We  then  entered  P'itzhugh  .Sound, 
passing  Calvert  Island  and  Hunt  Islands.  On  reaching 
the  end  of  the  channel  we  left  Burke  Channel  on  our 
right,  and  went  through  the  Lama  Passage,  passing  be- 
tween Campbell  and  Lendenny  Islands,  where  the  scenery 
was  very  fine. 

About  a quarter  before  six  we  arrived  at  Bella  Bella 
and  anchored  for  the  night ; this  is  a small  fishing  village 
on  Campbell  Island.  The  scenery  here  was  remarkably 
grand  and  bold,  the  passage,  in  many  places,  not  being 
an  eighth  of  a mile  wide,  though  the  water  reaches  a depth 


149 


California  and  Alaska. 


150 


of  from  one  hundred  and  thirty-one  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  fathoms.  After  supper  one  of  the  quarter  boats 
was  lowered  and  Dr,  McLane,  with  two  or  three  of  our 
party,  went  ashore  to  call  on  the  agent  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  and  the  missionary.  We  found  that  the  agent 
was  absent  at  Vancouver  and  the  missionary  was  making 
a visit  to  the  interior.  Bella  Bella  consists  of  some  forty 
or  fifty  log-huts  occupied  by  Indians,  who  gain  their  sub- 
sistence principally  by  fishing.  We  were  informed  that 
most  of  the  male  inhabitants  were  at  work  at  the  can- 
neries, and  there  were  not  over  five  or  six  men  remaining 
in  the  village.  The  accompanying  picture  of  Bella  Bella 
was  taken  about  nine  o’clock  in  the  evening ; the  Hudson 
Bay  Company’s  store  is  shown  on  the  left,  and  the  church 
and  the  missionary’s  house  on  the  right. 

While  crossing  Milbank  Sound  the  next  morning,  we 
felt  the  motion  of  the  sea  quite  considerably.  It  com- 
menced raining  In  the  morning  and  rained  nearly  all  day. 
Passing  north  of  Milbank  Sound  we  took  the  western 
passage  between  Swindle  and  Cone  Islands,  passing 
nearly  through  Tolmine  Channel,  Graham  Reach,  Fraser 
Reach,  leaving  Princess  Royal  Island  on  our  left.  Nearly 
all  the  morning,  on  our  right,  we  passed  large  water  pas- 
sages, or  reaches,  up  which  we  could  look  many  miles  and 
see  that  they  were  lined  on  either  side  by  very  high  and 
precipitous  mountains,  perhaps  not  a quarter  of  a mile 
apart.  All  the  information  the  captain  could  give  us 
about  these  narrow  waters  was  that  they  were  unex- 
plored, and  there  was  no  telling  how  far  inland  they 
might  extend. 


■•h 


Bella  Bella,  Alaska. 


4 - ' 


■ ' % 


'V  . 


150  . Ccfli/orfiia  and  Alaska.  ■ 

of  from  one  hnn  ired  and  thirty-one  to  one  hundred  amS 
fift  . faiiu^ins.  After  suppx  r one  of  the  quarter  boau 
%vns  low.rrrd  and  Dr.  McL.i7k;.  with  two  or  three  of  our 
party.  ashore  to  call  on  the  agent  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
Coinp.iny  and  the  missionary.  We  found  that  the  agent 
was  absent  at  V'ancouver  anvl  the  missionary  was  making 
a v’isir  to  the  interior.  Bella  Bella  consists  of  some  fort) 
or  fifty  U»g-huts  occup  ’.'d  by- Indians,  who  gain  their  sul> 
sistence  princi[)ally  b)’  fishing.  We  were  informed  that 
most  of  the  rihnbitants  were  at  work  at  the  can- 

neries, and  there  u-  le  not  over  five  or  six  men  remaining 
in  the  villagr.  Tl*  • atfeompanyihg  picture  of  Bella  Bella 
was  taken  al)oui  o'clock  in  the  evening-;  the  Hudson 
B ( 'fvmoanv '<%  st - e is  shown  on  the  left,  and  the  churdl 

- . morning, 


!.»»  »))■ 


■O'. ' 


rvor^S 

r*. 

_;|)Us-vag<: . b'-twe-  r 
nearly  ! 

Rearl),  b-n  in-j  1’ 


the  sea  quite  considerably.  It  cotv»^ 
h<  morning  and  rained  nearly  all  day.. 
Milbank  Sound  we  took  the  westtitSi 
Swindle  and  Cone  Islands,  passi^ 
mine  Channel,  Graham  Reach,  Fra; 
Royal  Island  on  our  left.  Nea 
all  tht  r/.nting.  on  <*<-r  right,  we  passed  large  water 
sagiR^.  • n aches,  i p which  we  could  look  many  miles 
see  that  ihrv  were  litn^d  on  either  side  by  very  high 
precipitous  rnouct^itv..  jx-rhaps  not  a quarter  of  a 
apart  Ail  tW  mf'.*r-:x-,.»on  the  captain  could  give^  « 
.dvmjt  the  ><•-  lur  M.  i.  ri  was  that  they  were  trQa 
‘ iored.  and.  there  = telling  how  far  inland 
might  extend. 


In  Alaskan  Waters. 


151 

Passing  through  McKay  Reach,  we  entered  Wright 
Sound.  On  our  right  were  Douglas  Channel  and  Verney 
Passage  ; both  these  waters  have  been  somewhat  explored, 
and  extend  for  many  miles  back  into  the  country.  The 
mountains  on  both  sides  of  these  passages  are,  according 
to  the  government  chart,  from  three  to  five  thousand 
feet  high,  but,  in  point  of  fact,  many  of  these  waters  have 
not  been  explored  to  any  great  distance. 

Sailing  from  Wright  Sound  and  going  north,  we  passed 
through  Grenville  Channel,  leaving  Pitt  Island  on  our 
left  and  the  Countess  of  Dufferin  range  of  mountains  on 
our  riofht.  The  mountains  on  each  side  of  this  channel 
are  about  three  thousand  feet  high,  and  are  very  heavily 
timbered  with  evergreens.  The  scenery  was  picturesque 
in  the  extreme. 

In  the  afternoon  we  passed  through  the  Arthur  Passage 
(Kennedy  Island  being  on  our  right)  and  through  Chat- 
ham Sound.  As  we  passed  through  the  sound  the  weather 
commenced  to  clear  and  before  long  the  sun  came  out. 
Bearing  to  our  right  we  arrived  at  Port  Simpson  at  half- 
past six  o’clock.  This  is  a Hudson  Bay  post,  the  last 
English  post  before  entering  Alaska,  and  we  found  it  to 
be  one  of  the  most  interesting  we  had  seen  for  some  time. 
The  Hudson  Bay  Company’s  agent,  whom  we  met,  was 
a very  genial  person  ; he  invited  us  up  to  the  company’s 
store,  and  showed  us  all  over  the  premises.  The  main 
store  is  built  of  logs,  and  was  constructed  some  sixty  years 
ago  ; part  of  the  old  stockade  is  still  standing,  and  on  one 
corner  of  it,  up  in  the  air,  is  one  of  the  old  turrets,  the 
sides  having  slits  for  musketry,  which  were  to  be  used  by 


152 


Califo7^nia  and  Alaska 


the  occupants  to  defend  themselves  against  the  Indians. 
The  old  powder  magazine  was  built  of  stone,  and  is  now 
used  by  the  Hudson  Bay  officer  for  a dairy. 

The  agent  had  all  sorts  of  goods  in  his  store.  We 
bought  some  Winchester  rifle  cartridges,  of  which  we  were 
a little  short,  and  some  very  old-fashioned  spoons  carved 
out  of  horn.  We  looked  over  a stock  of  skins  and  furs, 
but  did  not  buy  any.  The  steward  took  this  opportunity 
to  lay  in  a supply  of  fresh  milk  and  eggs. 

The  agent  told  us  that  the  climate  in  this  section  is 
exceedingly  agreeable  throughout  the  year,  although  the 
place  is  in  the  latitude  of  54°  35'  ; he  said  that  the  flowers 
in  his  garden  blossomed  in  January,  Every  thing  sur- 
rounding the  company’s  store  was  in  the  most  admirable 
order  ; the  stockade  and  buildings  were  all  neatly  white- 
washed, the  grass  carefully  trimmed,  and  the  walks  free 
from  weeds.  At  one  time  Port  Simpson  was  one  of  the 
most  important  posts  of  the  Pludson  Bay  Company,  but  of 
late  years  it  has  become  a very  insignificant  place.  The 
Indian  village  outside  of  the  walls  of  the  post  is  very 
sm.all,  and  in  a very  poor  and  needy  condition. 

The  prices  paid  for  furs  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Company 
are,  of  course,  higher  now  than  they  were  some  twenty  or 
thirty  years  ago,  and  the  profits  on  them  are  very  much 
less.  On  the  other  hand,  it  must  be  taken  into  considera- 
tion that  it  was  formerly  necessary  to  keep  at  least  six  or 
ten  armed  men  here  all  the  time  to  defend  the  post  against 
the  Indians,  and  further,  that  supplies  can  be  landed  here 
now  at  one  tenth  of  the  price  charged  for  them  thirty  years 
ago.  The  agent  told  us  that  he  thought  the  company 


Floating  Ice,  near  Mtiir  Glacier. 


Kf 


sitore  was  in  the  most  admh 

y,  ---fffc 

\vl 


Ca/ if^rnia  and  A I asm.  .> 

, . . ...j \ 

iHe  4ip^t4pAm&''to.(ie(end  ihemwlves  against  tSe  I 
The  old  j>nwtl«f  magazine rwas  built  of  stone,  and  is  i> 

M -e<l  by  the  Hudson  Bay  offtcer  fwa  dahy,  , 

Tttc  agent  had  ali  sorts  of.  goods  in  bis  stewo, 
biiught  some  Winchester  rifle  cartridges,  of  which  we  ii>ff 
jA  hide  short;  and  some,  very  otd-fashionj^v, spoons 
I ^otjl  oC  h'*fOv  Wc  lof)ked  over  a stock  of  skins  and 
tnit  ^K»r  fftty  ,»oy.  The  ^tcward  took  this  opporti^Ii 
to  la/  in  « >iippi|y  f>£ircali  milk  and  eggs.'^  5 'i|| 

The  frold  us  that  the  climate  in  this^  seel 

•^ablo  throughout^  the  year,  althougl^dtej 
^n**T  T-*  •«  t<4  „i  t*i4h  of  54*  35'  ; he  said  that  the  rto^ 

'♦!  in  January,  Every  thing’^soi 

tn*  i ■ 

* k*'  ^re!  Lilly  trimm^;  and  the  walk^,  fr 

> -t,  rime  Port  Simpson  was  one  of  tf 

a ‘4^1* rt  piUtxM  the  Hudson  Bay  Compaiiyv 

Utf  w»  fi  hqt.  b**<yMnc  a very  insignificant  place, 

Imilan  outside  of  the  walls'  of  ^the  post  is  %*< 

snuiu,  nnii  m a vuy  poor  and  needy  condition. 

f'Hc  price*  paid  for  fora  by  the  Hudson  Bay  Cor 
arcv  of  course,  higher  now  than  they  were,  some  twenl 
thirty  yeo/s  ago,  and  th(ipit profits  on  them  are  very  mS 
!<?».  On  tiu!  other  li&nd,  it  must' be  taken  into  consoler 
lion  thn!  % W3i>  forawnfv  neces^ry  to  keep  at  leaBt  sU  ocl 
teiijirfned  mti>  tierc  aH  the  time  to  defend  the  post  agatink 
(he  IndUti^  arKl  further,  tliuw  supplies  can  be  landed' 
oTw^at  one  ff,S»hof  the  price  charged  for  them  thirty:  yej^J' 
Ajgv  The  agent  told  us  (hat  he  drought  the  company 


U-C 


,;ii.  . 


hi  Alaskan  Waters. 


153 


made  as  much  out  of  the  post  as  formerly,  owing  to  the 
decreased  cost  of  running  the  station,  which  he  believed 
more  than  offset  the  lower  price  obtained  for  the  furs. 

About  half-past  three  o’clock  on  the  morning  of  May 
2 1 St  we  left  Port  Simpson  and  entered  upon  the  Alaskan 
Territory,  passing  on  our  left  Annette  and  Gravina  islands. 
In  the  afternoon  we  entered  Wrangel  Narrows,  leaving  on 
our  right,  some  thirty  miles  away.  Fort  Wrangel,  on  Wran- 
gel Island.  This  was  one  of  the  prettiest  spots  we  had 
yet  seen.  The  hills  on  either  side  of  the  Narrows  were 
not  so  remarkably  high,  but  the  shores  were  exceedingly 
picturesque,  and  looked  as  though  they  Avere  covered  with 
a great  deal  of  vegetation.  There  is  thick,  rich,  green 
grass  on  both  sides,  above  high-water  mark.  We  saw  here 
a great  many  ducks  and  geese,  and  a countless  number 
of  eagles.  After  passing  through  Wrangel  Narrows  we 
entered  Frederick  Sound,  a beautiful  sheet  of  water,  and 
on  our  right  saw,  for  the  first  time,  Patterson’s  Glacier, 
and  also  a large  amount  of  floating  ice.  It  was  about  dark 
when  we  passed  this  glacier.  No  one  point  in  all  our  jour- 
ney through  this  Sitkan  Archipelago  seemed  invested  by 
nature  with  so  much  grandeur  as  Prince  P'rederick  .Sound. 
Here  the  mountains  of  the  mainland  run  down  abruptly  to 
the  water.  The  scenery  in  this  wilderness  of  Lower  Alaska 
was  certainly  unique  and  unrivalled.  At  one  time  our 
ship  was  in  a lake,  at  another  in  a river,  and  then  in  a 
canal,  with  walls  towering  above  us  right  and  left  to  an 
almost  dizzy  height,  and  channels  running  off  into  unknown 
and  unexplored  regions.  And  yet,  upon  this  vast  expanse 

of  water  a sail  or  boat  rarely  is  seen.  There  is  a deathly 

20 


•54 


California  and  Alaska. 


stillness,  interrupted  now  and  then  by  the  screech  of  an 
eagle,  or  the  flight  of  ducks  frightened  at  the  approach  of 
the  vessel.  At  the  head  of  these  channels  are  countless 
ravines  and  canyons  filled  with  glaciers,  from  which  pieces 
are  constantly  broken  every  day.  It  is  estimated  that 
there  are  five  thousand  individual  glaciers  in  Alaska,  from 
which,  constantly,  pieces  are  broken  and  silently  find  their 
way  down  to  the  sea. 

On  the  morning  of  May  2 2d  we  woke  as  the  boat  was 
about  entering  Peril  Straits,  an  intricate  part  of  the  waters 
to  navigate,  but  pretty  well  buoyed  out.  The  scenery 
from  here  to  Sitka,  where  we  arrived  about  half-past  nine 
o’clock  in  the  morning,  was  exceedingly  fine.  This  place, 
the  capital  of  Alaska,  is  an  old  Russian  settlement,  and 
was,  at  one  time,  a prosperous  and  lively  town  ; at  pres- 
ent it  has  the  appearance  of  a half-sleepy,  indolent  village, 
giving  one  the  impression  of  general  decay.  As  the  boat 
nears  the  wharf  a cluster  of  buildings  is  seen  to  the  right  ; 
the  buildings  are  the  Castle,  the  Custom-house,  and  Bar- 
racks, This  Castle  of  Rarranore  was  once  celebrated  for 
the  lavish  hospitality  of  its  occupants, — elegant  dinners 
and  extravagant  balls  ; to-day  it  is  a dilapidated-looking 
building  of  large  size.  Notwithstanding  its  absolute 
neglect  and  abandonment  to  decay  and  ruin,  it  was  so 
substantially  built  that  it  will  be  years  before  it  will  dis- 
appear entirely.  All  Americans  who  travel  in  this  section 
wonder  why  our  government  does  not  put  it  in  repair,  and 
use  it  for  the  government  headquarters,  as  such  a building 
is  badly  needed.  The  Castle  is  one  hundred  and  forty 
by  seventy  feet,  and  is  three  stories  high.  As  a rule,  the 
United  States  keeps  a war  vessel  here  during  the  summer 


Lincoln  Street,  Hast,  Sitka,  Alaska. 


',7*fi:f'  ' ' 

I. ' ' , ^ 


wm 


C?  'an4  ^4lixsj^a. 


V vr 


m-m 


i10w  «ijd  'Uicij.i''^.i;hc''|«>fr^^  rwf 
•:*’  < \t‘ Th** 'hi.?ad  ot^th^iK!  cl^aAp^sj^^ 

/v '^^-vvM«»»i%.l»to!ri>fi  »yv.«iiy^  <iay,  isi  cstfijiattid  thi^ 

' fv  -.  . ' , ■'  " ' ‘ •■j-  • S 

ivirr.  iftAKVidtud'glafct  Ir 

t^roker>  and  sriehtljis  find  tb 

' vi  ^iiM*  t*’  ^ May.^2d,we  woke/as  the  Iwt 

^^  • raV  f ^h  h)tidcate 

jl>  4%«'^55li4‘,  wfeI1_4bnoy«d  'oij<^^  T 

;•¥  - -f-j  j/y  ‘ tiin 

...  . . "--Viiin.-fi.  _,  . /. . •- 


'iv*' 


l^•  w^  exceedingly  fine;  This  phi:' 


i ' '^'  fipil  t ' *t**Vn*  Is  ^ ^td  Russian  ’ seu  Icmen^ 

«i  jt  i''|'roap<iroufc»a^^  lively 

' 'T  I'  mjpte«i4on  ot  wiieral  decay.  As  lhd;l 
t>i  T^jfc.  Iite  7 is  seen'td  the  ri 

the  -boMiiaigfc.  Castle,  the  Cuscom-hopse,  and 

‘ C^s^  e#.  BarranoTt  was  once  celebrate! 
|fi«  irt*yf**h  h.^^i-ifAhty;  »ts  Qccupants,— elegant 

v,n!  ‘.p.irivi^plEifl  dl?  j>  to^y 'h'b  a clilapidatcddoo 
'V  ' Notwithstanding  its  ab: 

*»ffriMSOt  to  decay  and  ruin,  it  WUf, 
buJT^  \fuiA  *i  will  be,  yeapi  before  it  will 
Ail  Alheidcans  who  travel  in  this 
W'  'VviAwr  ^fviren»n<»t  does  not^pui  St  in  njpair, 

V iUk  n iVcrntaciit  Headquarters,  as  suclt  a b 
*•  fc^.  ' Tt^.Castic  is  one  hundred  and 

s^as^y  an^  it  tiyrce  tnories  hSgli.  As  a iii.}*v 
WN*^4'Ht4<t.  n war  vessel  here  ij|iring  t»« 


i'  .W' 

•.  <S'f 

s%.~  > .•  ■'** 


In  A/askcm  Waters. 


155 


months  ; at  the  time  of  our  visit  she  was  at  Mare  Island 
Navy  Yard  undergoing  repairs  and  Lieutenant  Turner 
was  in  charge  of  the  forty  marines,  who  were  temporarily 
located  in  the  old  barracks. 

Alaska  has  been  in  the  possession  of  the  United  States 
since  October  18,  1867.  The  country  was  bought  through 
negotiations  carried  on  by  William  H.  Seward,  who  was 
at  that  time  Secretary  of  State.  The  wits  of  the  period 
made  merry  over  the  acquisition,  just  as  wits  in  former 
days  made  merry  over  our  acquisition  of  Louisiana  and 
Florida.  Secretary  Seward  justified  his  action  on  the 
ground  of  the  new  country’s  natural  wealth  in  timber, 
fisheries,  minerals,  and  fur-bearing  animals  ; also  on  the 
ground  that  It  would  neutralize  the  power  of  Great  Britain 
in  the  North  Pacific  and  render  the  annexation  of  British 
Columbia  possible  In  the  future.  “ Alaska,”  said  he, 
“ may  not  be  so  valuable  as  we  deem  it  ; but  you  cannot 
deny  the  value  of  the  gold  regions  of  the  Cariboo  country 
and  Fraser  River,  the  coal  mines  of  Vancouver’s  and 
Queen  Charlotte’s  islands,  and  the  unrestricted  possession 
of  the  magnificent  Straits  of  Fuca.  All  these,  following 
manifest  destiny,  will  be  ours  in  time  ; besides,”  said  he, 
“ we  owe  a deep  debt  of  gratitude  to  Russia  for  her 
unvarying  friendship  through  long  years,  and  for  her 
kindly  sympathy  during  the  sorest  of  our  national  trials 
— the  great  rebellion.”  The  sum  of  $7,200,000  was  paid 
for  Alaska,  and  it  is  estimated  that  the  few  mines  near 
Juneau  are  worth  more  than  that  sum  to-day. 

The  Governor  of  Alaska,  Hon.  A.  P.  Swineford,  has 
made  interesting  reports  in  regard  to  the  resources  and 
prospects  of  this  new  and  remarkable  country.  Fie  says 


156 


California  and  Alaska. 


that  two  years  ago  the  population  was  estimated  at  about 
fifty  thousand  inhabitants  ; of  this  number  thirty-five  thou- 
sand were  classed  as  wholly  uncivilized.  Very  little  has 
been  accomplished  in  the  way  of  agricultural  development. 
Here  and  there  a ranch  has  been  started  for  the  growing 
of  root-crops,  while  in  nearly  all  the  settlements  vegetable 
gardens  are  maintained  with  very  little  labor.  There  are 
large  areas  of  excellent  grazing  lands  in  the  Territory,  but 
very  little  has  been  done  in  the  way  of  stock-raising.  At 
nearly  all  the  settlements  on  the  Kodiak  Islands  and  in 
Cook’s  Inlet  white  and  creole  people  keep  cows  and  make 
their  own  butter  ; the  Governor  sees  no  reason,  except  the 
absence  of  a market,  why  Alaska  might  not  rival  Montana 
or  Wyoming  in  the  raising  of  stock.  The  great  island  of 
Kodiak  comprises  a geographical  area  of  about  five  thou- 
sand square  miles.  Considerable  progress  has  been  made 
in  the  development  of  the  mineral  resources  of  the  Terri- 
tory. There  is  a large  stamp-mill  on  Douglas  Island,  the 
largest  plant  of  the  kind  in  the  world,  its  output  of  gold 
bullion  being  estimated  at  not  less  than  $150,000  per 
month.  New  discoveries  of  valuable  mines  are  constantly 
being  made,  especially  in  Southeastern  Alaska. 

It  is  pretty  well  established  that  other  minerals  besides 
gold  and  silver  are  abundant  in  various  parts  of  the  Ter- 
ritory. A large  vein  of  very  rich  copper  ore  has  been 
found  on  Kodiak  Island,  and  large  bodies  of  the  same 
metal  in  its  native  state  are  known  to  exist  on  Copper 
River,  Petroleum  is  found  in  different  sections,  while  at 
Cape  Prince  of  Wales,  the  most  westerly  point  of  the 
continent,  there  is  a plentiful  supply  of  graphite  in  the  / 


Indian  Chief's  Grave,  Alaska. 


#19 


156  California  and  Alaska, 

that  two  yT.trs  aifo  th»  pcjvulation  was  estimated  at  about 
hffy  thousand  inhabjiants;  of  this  number  thirty-dve.  thou- 
sand were  chiS'.4od  aw  wholly  uncivilized.  Very  l'idehas 
been  accomplished  in  the  way  of  agricultural  development 
Here  and  there  a ranch  has  been  started  for  the  growing 
of  root-crops,  while  in  nearly  all  the  settlements  vegetable 
gardens  .are  maintained  with  very  little  labor.  There  are 
large  ai'eas  of  excellent  grazing  lands  in  the  Territory,  but 
very  little  has  beeil  done  in  the  way  of  stock-raising.  At 
nearly  all  the  settlements  on  the  Kodiak  Islands  and  in 
Cook’s  Inlet  white  anti  creoh  keep  cows  and  make 

their  own  butter;  the  Governor  s**C'  •'c.nson,  except  the 
absence  of  a market,  why  Alaska  might  not  rival  Montana 
or  W'yoniing  in  the  raising  of  stock.  The  great  island  of 
Kodiak  comprises  a geo.^aphioal  area  of  about  five  thou- 
sand made 

in  the  development  of  the  mineral  resources  of  the  Terri- 
tory. There  is. a large  isumi>mill  on  Douglas  Island,  the 
largest  plant  of  the  kind  in  the  world, Jts  output  of  gold 
bullion  being  estimated  at  not  less  than  $150,000  per 
month.  New  discoveries  of  valuable  mines  are  constantly 
being  made,  especially  in  Southeastern  Alaska, 

It  is  pretty  well  established  that  other  minerals  besides 
gold  and  silver  are  abundant  in  various  parts  of  the  Ter- 
ritory. A large  vein  of  very  rich  copper  ore  has  been 
found  on  Kodiak  Island,  and  large  bodies  of  the  same 
mefal  in  its  native  st.atr  are  known  to  exist  on  Copper 
Kiver.  Petroleum  is  found  in  different  sections,  while  at 
Caj>e  Prince  of  Wales,  the  most  westerly  point  of  the 
continent,  there  is  a plentiful  supply  of  graphite  in  the. 


In  Alaskan  Waters. 


157 


adjoining  mountains.  Amber  exists  in  large  quantities, 
and  sulphur  is  found  in  connection  with  the  numerous 
volcanic  peaks  and  extinct  craters.  Discoveries  of  iron, 
cinnabar,  and  mica  are  recorded.  Marble  abounds  ; there 
is  every  evidence  of  the  existence  of  valuable  slate  beds  ; 
fire-clay  is  found  in  connection  with  the  coal  seams  ; and 
kaolin  is  among  the  discoveries  reported.  There  is  said 
to  be  coal  enough  in  Alaska,  and  of  the  very  best  quality, 
to  supply  the  wants  of  the  whole  of  the  Pacific  slope  for 
centuries,  and  it  is  prophesied  that  the  time  will  soon  come 
when  the  product  of  her  mines  will  find  other  and  wider 
markets  than  those  of  the  Pacific  coast  alone.  There  are 
vast  forests  of  valuable  timber  in  the  back  country,  but 
there  are  not  more  than  half-a-dozen  saw-mills  engaged 
in  cutting  lumber,  and  they  only  partially  supply  the  local 
demand. 

The  fisheries  of  Alaska  form  an  important  industry. 
There  are  seventeen  salmon  canneries  in  operation,  some 
of  them  very  large  establishments,  and  nearly  all  having 
salting  houses  in  connection.  The  codfishing  fleet  is 
steadily  increasing,  and  halibut  is  being  sent  to  Eastern 
cities  in  refrigerator  cars.  In  1888  twelve  thousand  tons 
of  salmon  were  prepared  for  the  market.  The  fur  trade 
is  also  an  important  industry. 

There  are  thirteen  public  schools  in  the  Territory, 
located  respectively  at  the  principal  towns,  and  the  In- 
dustrial Training  School  at  Sitka  is  in  a flourishing 
condition,  though  not  accomplishing,  it  is  said,  all  that 
might  reasonably  be  expected  ; the  boys  are  taught  car- 
pentry and  cabinet-,  boot-,  and  shoe-making,  while  girls 


158 


California  and  Alaska. 


are  instructed  in  housekeeping,  sewing,  knitting,  cook- 
ing, and  dressmaking. 

The  average  rainfall  in  Sitka  and  its  immedia1:e 
neighborhood  is  about  forty-eight  inches  ; about  one  third 
of  the  year  there  is  no  rain.  The  weather  is  not  very 
cold  in  winter,  the  thermometer  rarely  reaching  zero  on 
the  coast.  The  mean  temperature  for  the  year  is  about 
forty-four  degrees.  January  and  February  have  the  low- 
est record — 29°  2'  ; August  highest — 56°  4'.  Ice  rarely 
forms  to  a thickness  of  six  inches,  and  yet  in  summer  the 
weather  is  not  warm  enough  to  ripen  any  grain.  The 
months  of  June  and  July  are  generally  clear,  dry,  and  free 
from  rain.  The  fall  and  spring  are  the  rainy  seasons. 
The  comparatively  mild  temperature  in  this  high  latitude 
is  accounted  for  by  the  existence  of  a great  current  of 
warm  water,  resembling  our  Gulf  Stream,  which,  sweeping 
along  the  coasts  of  Japan  and  Asia  to  the  northeast, 
crosses  the  Pacific,  and  washes  the  northwest  coast  of 
America  as  far  down  as  the  Bay  of  Panama,  where  it 
again  diverges  to  the  westward  and  forms  the  great 
equatorial  current  of  the  Pacific. 

At  the  head  of  Cross  Sound  are  five  large  glaciers 
that  are  formed  far  back  in  the  country  on  the  slopes  of 
Mount  P'airweather  and  Mount  Crillon,  the  former  14,708 
feet  high,  the  latter  13,400. 

The  remarkable  indentation  and  almost  endless  length 
of  this  coast,  the  thousand  islands,  the  immense  number 
of  mountains  large  and  small,  the  maze  of  rivers  through 
which  the  traveller  passes,  make  this  journey  incompara- 
ble with  any  other  which  could  be  made.  We  had  often 


Russian  Block-HoiLse,  Sitka,  Alaska. 


rsS  California  a^td  Alaska. 

are  instnicteri  in  housekeeping,  sewing  knj!-  *'g,  cook- 
ing, and  dressmaking. 

The  average  rainfall  in  'Sitka  and  its  imn*r  ilate 
neighlx>rhood  Is  about  forty-^ight  inches  ; about  one  third 
of  the  year  there  is  no  rain.  The  weather  is  not  very 
cold  in  winter,  the  thermometer  rarely  reaching  zero  on 
the  coast,  7'he  mean  temperature  for  the  year  is  about 
forty-iour  degrees.  January  and  P'ebruary  have  the  low- 
».*sl  record — 29"  2' ; August  highest — 56“  4'.  Ice  rarely 
forms  to  a thicknfe.ss  of  six  inches,  and  yet  in  summer  the 
weather  is  not  warm  enough  to  ripen  any  grain.  The 
months  of  June  and  July  are  gcneraliv  clear,  dry,  and  free 
from  rain.  The  fail  and  spring  arc  the  rainy  seasons. 
The  comparatively  mild  tcanpeniiurc  in  this  high  latitude 
)s  accounted  for  by  the  existmcf-  a great  current  of 

'dong  the  coasts  of  Japan  and  Asia  to  the  northeast, 
crosses  the  Pacific,  and  tyevshes  the  northwest  coast  of 
Arherica  as  far  down  as  the  Bay  of  Panama,  where  it 
again  diverges  to  the  westward  and  forms  the  great 
fxjuatorlal  current  of  the  Pacific.  . 

At  the  head  of  Cross  Sound  are  five  large  glaciers 
that  are  formed  far  back  in  the  country  on  the  slopes  - of 
Mount  Fairweaihcr  and  Mount  Crillon,  the  former  14,708 
feet  high,  the  latter  i,^,40O. 

The  remarkabh*  indentation  and  almost  endless  length 
of  this  ctjasi,  the  thousand  islands,  the  iminen.He  number 
of  mountains  lai^e  and  small,  the  maze  of  rivers  through 
which  the  traveller  passes,  make  this  journey  incornpara- 
bie  with  any  other  which  could  be  made,  VVe  had  often 


In  Alaskan  Waters. 


159 


heard  about  the  wonders  of  a trip  to  Alaska,  but  were 
more  than  surprised  at  the  remarkable  character  of  the 
scenery  we  saw,  especially  the  water-ways,  which  the  writer 
has  deemed  worthy  of  being  so  fully  described. 


r 


\ 


CHAPTER  XX. 

IN  ALASKAN  WATERS  {coiicluded). 

PROBABLY  the  most  interesting  feature  of  life  in 
the  vicinity  of  Sitka  is  the  Indian  village  a short 
distance  outside  of  the  town  ; Lieutenant  J.  E. 
Turner  was  kind  enough  to  show  our  party  through  this 
settlement,  which  was  certainly  very  unique. 

After  entering  an  old  gate  we  turned  to  the  left  and 
passed  in  front  of  a long  row  of  cheaply  built  houses 
fronting  on  the  beach,  the  canoes  and  fishing  parapher- 
nalia belonging  to  each  hut  being  drawn  up  on  the 
beach  in  front  thereof.  Each  house  is  numbered,  and 
the  village  is  under  the  strict  surveillance  of  an  officer  of 
the  Navy.  As  we  had  found  at  Bella  Bella,  most  of  the 
Indians  were  off  fishing  or  engaged  in  work  at  the  can- 
neries ; in  the  winter,  when  they  are  all  at  home,  the 
population  numbers  about  eight  hundred,  and  the  town 
then  presents  quite  a lively  appearance. 

It  may  be  well  to  mention  here  a certain  peculiar  kind 
of  fish  which  is  quite  plentiful  in  Alaskan  waters  ; it  is 
called  the  candle-fish,  and  is  about  the  size  of  a smelt, 
which  it  resembles  in  appearance,  being  small  and  having 

i6o 


r 


Sce7ie  in  Indian  Town,  Sitka,  Alaska. 


\ 


t 


X 


CHAPTER  XX. 

IN  ALASKAN  WATERS  {concluded). 


PROBABLY  the  mpm  (r.Hur*' of  life  in 

the  vicinity  <jl  ’»  ' -j..  ’ short 

distance  oui'sidx'  of  tht^  t«mii  , LifUtenant  J.  E. 
I iirnef  was  LicivI  enough  to  show  oor  party  through  this 
.ettl^ment,  which  was  ceitaiidy  very  unique 


I>ass(‘vi  in  fr  >u;  oi  ^ ir;.^  ■ . of  cheaply  built  houses 

fronting  on  the  bca^L,  (he  c.ouh-s  and  fishing  parapher- 
nalia Ix-.lor.ging  to  each  hut  being  drawn  tip  on  the 
beach  in  front  thereof.  Each  house,  is  numbered,  and 
thi  village  is  under  the  strict  surveillance  of  an  officer  of 
the  Navy.  As  we  had  found  at  Bella  Bella,  most  of  the 
Indians  were  off  fishing  or  engaged  in  work  at  the  can- 


ru  rjea  ; ’in  the  winter,  W'hen  they_  are  all  at  home,  the 
population  numbers  about  eiglit  hundred,  and  the  town 
then  prfsents  tjuite  a lively  appearance. 

It  may  be  w'eli  to  mention  here  a certain  jxiculiar  kind 
of  fish  which  Is  quite  plentiful  in  Alaskan  waters ; it  is 
called  the  candle-fish,  and  is  about  the  .size  of  a smelt, 
which  it  resembles  in  appearance,  being  small  and  having 

' ik 


jOnmigsi 


In  Alaskan  Waters. 


i6i 


bright  silvery  skin  and  scales.  It  is  caught  by  the  Indians 
on  bright  moonlight  nights.  They  use  for  this  purpose  a 
large  rake,  some  six  or  seven  feet  long,  with  teeth  of  bone 
or  sharp-pointed  nails.  This  rake  has  a handle,  and  while 
one  Indian  paddles  the  canoe  close  to  the  “ shoal  of  fish,” 
the  other  sweeps  the  rake  through  the  dense  mass,  bring- 
ing up  generally  three  or  four  fish  impaled  on  each  tooth 
of  the  rake.  The  canoes  are  soon  filled,  and  the  contents 
being  taken  on  shore,  the  squaws  proceed  to  skewer  the 
fish  on  long  sticks,  passing  these  sticks  through  the  eyes 
until  each  one  has  as  many  as  it  will  hold,  when  the  whole 
are  suspended  in  the  thick,  smoky  atmosphere  at  the  top 
of  the  hut,  which  dries  and  preserves  the  fish  without  salt, 
which  is  never  used  by  the  Indians. 

When  dry,  the  candle-fish  are  carefully  packed  away  In 
boxes  of  dried  bark.  The  traders  at  Fort  Simpson  catch 
these  fish  in  nets,  salt  and  dry  them  in  the  usual  manner 
practised  by  the  whites  ; and,  when  this  is  properly  done 
no  fish  are  more  delicious  than  the  candle-fish,  the  only 
trouble  being  that  they  are  so  rich  that  one  soon  tires  of 
them. 

To  use  them  as  candles,  a piece  of  wick  or  dried  pith 
is  passed  through  the  fish  with  a bodkin  of  hard  wood,  and 
the  tail  being  inserted  in  a cleft-stick  or  junk-bottle,  the 
wick  is  lighted.  The  fish  burns  with  a clear,  steady  flame. 

In  point  of  wealth  and  power,  after  a few  Indian  chiefs, 
the  most  important  person  in  the  village  is  Mrs.  Tom, 
a woman  of  great  importance  and  influence  among  the 
natives.  She  is  worth  about  $40,000,  and,  in  that  section 
of  the  country  at  least,  is  considered  a wealthy  woman. 


i62 


California  aitd  Alaska. 


We  made  her  a visit,  and  found  her  not  only  willing  to 
exhibit  to  ys  her  large  collection  of  curiosities,  but  anxious 
to  part  with  many  of  them  for  a proper  pecuniary  consid- 
eration. Her  house  consists  of  three  rooms,  one  of  them 
very  large.  At  the  time  Lieutenant  Turner  and  our  party 
made  our  visit  she  was  not  presentable,  but  called  out  to 
us  that  we  should  amuse  ourselves  by  looking  over  her 
furs  until  she  could  prepare  her  toilet.  She  was  not  long 
in  making  her  appearance,  when  she  opened  her  trunks, 
searched  in  various  recesses,  and  brought  forth  any  num- 
ber of  trinkets  and  curious  articles,  which  she  offered  for 
sale.  We  made  a number  of  purchases,  including  some 
very  fine  otter  skins  and  a Chilcot  blanket.  We  were  told 
that  she  left  the  settlement  for  the  Aleutian  Islands  every 
year  in  a large  boat  well  stocked  with  provisions  and  arti- 
cles that  she  knows  will  be  appreciated  by  the  Indians  ; 
these  she  trades  away  for  rich  furs  and  curiosities  which 
she  knows  she  can  readily  sell  to  the  Americans  who  visit 
Sitka.  These  journeys  sometimes  keep  her  away  for  three 
months  at  a time. 

Mrs.  Tom’s  ideas  of  matrimony  are  certainly  very 
liberal  ; she  has  almost  any  number  of  husbands,  but  rarely 
keeps  one  over  two  or  three  years,  when  she  discharges 
him  and  purchases  a new  one.  After  we  had  made  the 
purchases  from  her  we  requested  her  to  send  the  articles 
to  the  steamer  and  we  would  pay  the  money  to  the  hus- 
band who  brought  the  package.  She  evidently  had  a very 
pessimistic  opinion  of  man’s  honesty,  for  she  quickly  replied 
that,  as  the  amount  due  was  quite  a large  sum,  she  wished, 
if  we  had  no  objections,  that  we  would  pay  her  “ cash 


Indian  River  Canyon,  from  ''  Pint  a" 
A nchoragc. 


California^  and  Ahi^hu. 


\V<*  tn-\Jc  hnc  a an.i 


Jc  i\rr  a v^s^^.  an.i  ?t>unvi  her  nut  onl)  wiiling  to 
^ 'rr  collection  of  curiosities,  bur  anxious 


! , u.»n>  of  them  for  a proper  pecuniary  consid- 

r.;.  on  Ho  hmuic  consists  of  three  rooms,  one  of  them 
very  larj^c.  At  the  lime  Lieutenant  Turner  and  our  party 
[mide  our  visit  she  was  not  presentable,  but  called  out  to 
that  wo  should  amuse  ourselves  by  looking  over  her 
furs  until  .he  could  prepare  her  toilet.  She  was  not  long 
in  making  her  apf^^Arance.  when  she  opened  her  trunks, 
searched  in  various  r-  c -^^so  .-inri  brought  forth  any' num- 
b<;r  of  trm»^et''  (.ii,*-  . ^h’ch  ofifered  for 

sahv  \\  K mad'  ia  ■ t ; , ■*  some 

very  Uno  .utr  ; s ,1'-  .•  ■ . 1 01).  t Wcweretold 


rlcs  th,<;  ' Indians; 

tiurse  she  zrj.' . n ;•  n I'.ir?  rtu-  ; curiosities  which 
she  know-,  sho  ^ e.iddy  ■■•'Vi  to  ll»c  Ameiicans  who  visit 


months  ar  a lime. 

Mr*..  Torns  ideas  of  matrimony  are  certainly  very 


keeps  ohc  over  two  or  three  years,  when  she  discharges 
him  and  purchases  a new  one.  After  we  had  made  the 
from  her  we  requested  her  to  send  the  articles 
r ■'  tt(  amer  and  we  would  pay  the  money  to  Hus* 
h>  ; r.jught  the  package.  She  evidently  had  a very 
' opinion  of  man  s honesty,  for  she  quickly  replied 


Sitka.  1 hi  3C  ) ' (rnevs  «'ornctimes  keep  lier  away  for  three 


'he  has  almost  any  number  of  husbands,  but  rarely 


* omnint  due  w’as  quite  a large  sum,  she  wished, 
if.-wr;  h.';!  n * objections;  that. we  would  pay  her  “cash 


In  Alaska^i  Waters. 


163 

down  ” on  the  spot,  saying  that  she  would  feel  easier  than 
if  she  had  to  wait  for  one  of  her  husbands  to  bring  it  back 
to  her. 

While  this  book  is  going  through  the  press  the  writer 
has  noticed  some  curious  statements  in  a New  York  jour- 
nal on  the  polyandrous  women  of  Alaska.  A member  of 
an  expedition  that  is  surveying  the  boundary  line  between 
Alaska  and  Canada  says  that  he  has  met  tribes  on  the 
upper  Yukon  River  where  it  is  not  uncommon  for  the 
women  to  have  two  or  more  husbands.  This  custom  also 
prevails  in  Eastern  Thibet  and  among  the  Mongols  of  the 
Tsaidam.  It  is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that,  on  account 
of  the  barren  nature  of  the  soil  and  the  general  poverty  of 
the  people  the  brothers  in  a family  will  agree  to  have  only 
one  wife  among  them  ; while  one  brother  is  absent  on  a 
trading  journey  another  remains  at  home  and  looks  after 
the  live  stock,  the  “ mutual  wife  ” managing  the  house- 
hold. Among  the  Alaskan  Eskimo  a man  is  entitled  to 
as  many  wives  as  he  can  get,  but  in  parts  of  the  country 
where  women  are  scarce  two  or  more  men  live  in  a hut 
with  one  woman.  It  is  stated  that  polygamy  is  only  prac- 
tised among  rich  and  prosperous  savages,  while  polyandry 
is  practised  by  the  poorer  peoples,  from  necessity  rather 
than  choice. 

After  lunch  we  stopped  a few  moments  at  Lieutenant 
Turners  rooms  and  then  visited  the  Presbyterian  Mission, 
where  we  saw  the  Shepard  workshop,  established  by  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Shepard  when  they  were  here  two  years  ago. 
We  were  much  interested  in  the  old  Greek  Church, 
a sketch  of  which  is  given.  It  is  a rather  gaudily  deco- 


164 


California  and  Alaska. 

rated  building,  painted  in  green  and  gold  after  the  Eastern 
fashion, ■'with  magnificent  regalia  and  appointments  for  its 
rather  lengthy  but  imposing  service.  Some  of  the  old 
houses  presented  a very  quaint  and  time-worn  appearance; 
the  one  shown  in  the  accompanying  sketch  is  probably 
some  hundreds  of  years  old.  While  we  were  here  the  boys 
of  the  party  had  very  good  luck  fishing  off  the  bows  of  the 
boat,  catching  some  very  fine  black  bass  and  halibut.  The 
fishing  and  deer-shooting  in  this  vicinity  are  said  to  be 
very  good. 

The  Russian-American  Company,  once  such  an  impor- 
tant factor  in  Alaskan  life,  commenced  its  existence  in 
1799  and  was  formed  on  the  same  plan  as  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company  ; a body  of  Russians  traders  and  merchants, 
however,  had  existed  long  before  that  date.  Between  1812 
and  1841  the  Russians  had  settlements  in  California,  at 
Ross  and  Bodega,  and  they  named  the  principal  stream  in 
that  part  of  the  country  Russian  River.  In  the  latter  year 
Captain  Sutter,  the  famous  Californian,  purchased  the 
company’s  settlement  for  $30,000,  which  was  finally  aban- 
doned when  it  was  found  more  convenient  to  purchase 
from  the  Hudson  Bay  Company  on  Vancouver  Island. 

It  is  said  that  when  the  Russians  occupied  Sitka  their 
houses  were  not  models  of  cleanliness.  Some  of  them 
were  in  the  habit  of  keeping  poultry  in  the  rooms  over 
the  sleeping-chamber,  and  as  the  little  windows  were  never 
opened  except  at  long  intervals  the  odor  was  not  very  cap- 
tivating. Pigs  and  goats  at  that  time  were  allowed  to 
roam  the  streets  at  their  own  sweet  will  and  took  full 
advantage  of  their  unrestricted  liberty. 


Favorite  Bay,  ‘ ‘ Home  of  the  Herring, 

Killisnoo. 


> 


tr  /. 


j?  tf 


m # 


,.» ■■ 


v1<4" 


' • ' * ' ' V 

^frd  ^ 


^J^  :i  nd  r‘\yi?i|^^te  -o' 

^sln  ^ ^ i<|r^llt  .'illy  app^ptpT^'.'j  ;►  tt^ 

^4atb<:e'^  Soili^  o£55lii<-*  okl. 

•""M 


bo^nfsi.^  v4^> jlfetlnf^nd  time-Avom 

^fHe  I '*«^Mti^c;a^)mp^^  lij^rob^y,^ 

‘ V imUkwb  ^t.^a(^j4y^^dt  ofiyears  old  While  \v<jf4t^  Heg^^c  hoys  ‘ 
^'  ' ft 


■p-C»r 


)d  l^i^k  lisliiiig  •oi?  tne  bow^f  the 

u*  Ti  ' 


5« 


I-. 


^ caithVw^  sotT^  fiac  biafik  bass^ci  halibu?' 

and  docr*^oo^ng  in  this^^nity  ar^gjii'cl  to'b^ 

i#/y’g;oo<i  ^ 

, The  kidiibiil>^nivrK?W'i  ^‘Ort^;ivn  *>ncb  an 

Uj>-  *t%  <-)cjsten«t 

f • 

. • %r  N^n**.  plan  S9  tl»c  Hurisntf 

^Tit- , a^K  . ' ..d  viwinrs  and  owiiftitanU, 

A^-.'illiilij^-i^  kJ»s-  4 long  >.•  is-  (h»i  it lii^twcen  iSis  .' 

^is?iRs5%t  ig-a 

asd  ^‘ncipal  stream,  in 

^fSar  Rii'isb^n  RiviS^;?^  In  the  latter  year 

Caj.»tain  f>iittef.  the  bunotls  C ah f^rnian, 'purchased  thb 
^ . ^ompany'-i  £0^30,000' which  was  finafljrabani- 

* doiP^i  when  it  was  found  more  convenient  to  purchase” 

'*  rlsift  Wiidson’Say  Company  on  Vancouver  Island.'  ^ 

' t!  1*  stiid'fhd^t^hen  the  Russians' occupied  Sitka  their  *♦ 
Verc  not  moi^  of  cleanlinesa.  Some  of  them 

.•♦’•'■  ■ f ’ Jif  a 

the  habit  of' Jkcepir^  poultry  in  tliOf*rooms|  over  -• 

> r ’.  tl>»  -i«;epm^<diambfer,i^  the  little  windbws  were  never.  ,4^;- 
-f  ^W’ledexccpt^t  Idngjhieryals  the  odor  was  not  very  cap*  •;^, 


and 'goats  at  that  ticae  were  allowed  to  * ,1t^v 


am  r^'-^rcets^^  iSfe  owi|.  sweet  will  and  took  full  , ^ 

” ' ^ .'t^  • M •'  ■■  -viv 


>:M 


^ t' 


In  Alaskan  Waters. 


165 


We  left  Sitka  on  the  afternoon  of  the  22c!  of  May. 
All  the  acquaintances  we  had  made  begged  us  to  remain 
over  until  the  next  day,  promising  that  they  would  arrange 
an  Indian  war-dance  in  the  evening,  but  our  time  being 
limited  we  were  obliged  to  take  our  departure.  The 
mission  band  came  down  to  the  dock  and  gave  us  a sere- 
nade  just  before  we  sailed  away.  We  ran  until  about 
dark,  when  we  entered  Peril  Straits  and  anchored  in  P'ish 
Bay  for  the  night. 

At  three  o’clock  on  the  following  morning.  May  23d, 
we  left  Fish  Bay  in  Peril  Straits,  passed  through  the 
rapids,  and  out  into  the  open  sound,  bound  for  Glacier 
Bay.  We  went  through  Chatham  Strait,  leaving  Admi- 
ralty Island  on  our  right,  going  around  Port  Augusta,  and 
passing  by  Port  Frederick,  Port  Adolphus,  and  Bartlett. 
The  waters  in  this  region  are  totally  unexplored.  After 
we  entered  Chatham  Strait  bound  for  the  north,  Captain 
Carroll  remained  in  the  pilot-house,  as  there  were  no 
soundings,  and  he  was  the  only  man  on  board  who  had 
ever  been  through  these  waters  before.  We  were  constantly 
meeting  large  floes  of  ice,  and  the  vessel  had  to  cut 
through  them.  Some  of  the  Icebergs  must  have  been 
fully  three  or  four  hundred  feet  square,  and  of  proportion- 
ate mass. 

At  this  time  the  weather  was  exceedingly  disagreea- 
ble ; the  wind  was  cold,  and  a fine  mist  was  falling  all  the 
time.  The  climatic  conditions,  combined  with  the  bleak- 
looking appearance  of  the  country,  devoid  of  all  vegeta- 
tion, was  any  thing  but  cheerful,  but  It  helped  us  to  realize 
what  a dreary  and  desolate  journey  a trip  to  the  Arctic 


California  and  Alaska. 


1 66 


regions  must  be.  As  our  vessel  was  built  entirely  of 
steel,  we  were,  of  course,  obliged  to  exercise  unusual  care 
in  sailing  ; if  we  had  run  on  a rock,  or  into  an  iceberg,  it 
would  probably  have  made  a hole  in  her,  and  sunk  her  at 
once.  This  was  one  of  the  first  iron  vessels  that  had  ever 
been  through  these  waters  ; Captain  Carroll  remarked, 
however,  that  he  felt  very  much  safer  wrth  a good  wooden 
vessel,  because  in  case  she  sprung  a leak  he  would  be  able 
to  patch  it  up.  We  had  rain  almost  steadily  from  the 
time  we  started,  though  now  and  then  the  weather  would 
clear  up  for  an  hour  or  so.  As  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  go  out  on  deck,  we  were  forced  to  amuse  ourselves  in 
the  cabin  by  playing  cards  and  backgammon  for  hours  at 
a time. 

In  the  afternoon,  as  we  neared  the  Muir  Glacier,  we 
met  large  fields  of  floating  ice.  As  we  travelled  towards 
the  north  the  scenery  changed  entirely  ; there  were  no  signs 
of  vegetation  to  be  seen,  the  whole  surrounding  country 
was  one  mass  of  rocks,  while  the  waters  were  dotted  with 
barren  and  desolate  islands.  We  arrived  at  the  Great 
Glacier  about  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon.  We  ran  up 
very  close,  then  drifted  back,  and  threw  out  anchor  on  the 
east  shore.  A boat  was  lowered,  and  some  of  the  party 
went  ashore,  and  walked  up  over  the  glacier.  At  ten  o’clock 
at  night  the  writer  took  a photograph  of  the  glacier,  from 
which  Mr.  Gifford  has  made  the  etching  given  herewith. 
Pieces  of  this  icy  mountain  were  falling  away  repeatedly, 
the  noise  of  their  falling  being  similar  to  the  sound  of  heavy 
artillery.  During  the  whole  of  this  particular  afternoon 
there  was  not  a period  of  five  minutes  during  which  we  did 


ETCHING 


Muir  Glacier,  Alaska. 


Proof 


By  K.  SIVA /AT  GIFFORD. 


166  California  r.H'i  , //.j,uiu.  ' 

rr^ions  must  ^kv  / ^ cshcI  was  built  rnlln-iy  of  . 

''Steel,  we  we»^  , <*f  ■ *•  •* , aliJiged  to  exercise  unusual  care 
..  • ^ in  sailing  ; if  v,<  had  ran  on  a rock,  dr  Into  iceberg,  it 
y,i\  would  (jmf> , h have  made  a hole  in  her,  and  sunk  her  at  '' 
onc^  I ‘ i , was  one  of  the  first  iron  vessels  that  had  ever 
’ Ix-er  chr  .!j^h  these  waters;  Cai»tain  Carroll  remarked,, 

! «wt  v he  felt 'Very  much  safer  wnth  a good  wooden 

nyi-  oi,  ; . - ause'  in  case’ she  sprung  a leak  he  would  be  able 
' puUh  ii  up:  We  had  rain  almost  steadily  from  the, 

.time  0.  ' i.fpftr'u  though  now  and  then  the  weather  would  ^ - 

» ' , . jl , 

i h’?ir  up  (Mr  nn  ''i.Kjf  cvr  --f  \s  a Wit-  almost  impossible' 
<U!f  c I itfii  5*  u>  amuse  ourselves  in 

, ivirtif  mi!  - kg,immon  for  hours  at 

the  G-lacier  we 

i;  /o  fields  of  floating  ice*  As  we  travelled  towards 

.'k  vR.' 

’ . ih  tl^e  scenery  changed  entirely  ; there  were  no 

of  vegetation  to  be  seen,  the  whole  surrounding  country 
was  'one  mass  of  rocks.  while*The  waters  were  dotted  with 
barren  and  desolate  islands.  We  arrived  at  the  Great  . 
Glacier  about  four  o’clock  in  the  afternoon.  We  ran  up 
ve,ry  dost?,  then  drifted  back,  and  threw  out  anchor  on  the 
east  shore.  A boat  was  lowered,  and  some  of  the  parly 
w'cnt  ashore,  and  W'alked  up  over  the  glacier.  At  ten  o’clock 
at  night  the  writer  took  a photograph  of  the  glacier,  from^ 
which  Mr,  Gifford  has  made  the  etching  given  lierewitli.  j 
Pieces  of  this  icy  mountain  were  falling  away  repeatedly.  Ji 
the  noise  of  their  falling  being  similar  to  the  sound  of  hea,vy* 
artillery.  I>iring  the  whole  of  tltis  particular  afteniop^J]^ 
there  was  not  a period  of>  five  minutes  during  which  we  did 

i . 


•a’ 


/ 


In  Alaskan  Waters. 


167 


not  see  or  hear  large  pieces  of  ice  falling,  the  masses 
being  so  large  sometimes  that  they  caused  the  vessel 
to  rock. 

We  anchored  at  this  point  all  night,  leaving  about  half- 
past three  o’clock  the  following  morning,  as  soon  as  we 
could  see.  We  travelled  south  to  Ainsley  Island  ; here, 
instead  of  going  down  through  Chatham  Strait,  as  we  did 
when  we  came  up,  we  turned  around  and  went  north, 
towards  Lynn  Channel,  bearing  off  sharply  to  our  right 
round  Admiralty  Island,  going  through  Stevens’  Passage, 
then  back  again  between  Douglas  Island  and  the  main- 
land to  Port  Douglas.  We  arrived  at  Douglas  about  two 
o’clock  in  the  afternoon.  It  had  rained  steadily  all  day, 
and  we  had  not  been  able  to  see  any  of  the  mountains  ; 
at  times  the  fog  was  dangerously  thick. 

After  tying  up  at  the  wharf,  our  party  went  through 
the  celebrated  Treadwell  Mine,  which  has  the  largest 
stamp-mill  in  the  world  ; it  is  owned  principally  by  Mr. 
D.  O.  Mills,  and  some  gentlemen  of  San  Francisco. 
We  passed  through  a tunnel  into  the  mountain,  and 
entered  the  mine.  The  ore  is  all  of  a low  grade,  and  is 
worth  about  ten  dollars  per  ton.  It  is  taken  out  by  the 
use  of  Sargent  drills  worked  by  compressed  air.  The  ore 
is  quarried  the  same  as  any  ordinary  stone,  after  which  it 
is  all  put  into  the  crusher,  and  then  into  the  stamp-mill. 

We  spent  two  hours  in  this  mine,  after  which  we  went 
across  to  Juneau,  where  we  were  obliged  to  fill  the  tank  of 
our  steamer  with  water.  We  remained  there  until  seven 
o’clock  in  the  evening.  Juneau  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
being  one  of  the  dirtiest  towns  we  had  yet  seen.  The 


i68 


California  and  Alaska. 

place  was  full  of  people,  one  hundred  and  sixty  having 
arrived  on  the  last  trip  of  the  Ancon,  drawn  to  the  locality 
on  account  of  the  great  mining  excitement  which  existed 
there  at  the  time.  Only  a few  days  before  we  arrived,  a 
party  struck,  about  thirty  miles  south  of  the  town,  a rich 
silver  ore,  which  assayed  $i6o  per  ton.  While  at  Juneau, 
at  the  special  request  of  a young  lady  in  New  York, 
who  is  much  interested  in  the  work,  we  called  upon 
Miss  Matthews,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  Presbyterian 
Mission  here.  While  making  this  call  we  saw  a young 
bear  cub  in  the  street  ; we  purchased  it,  and  had  it  taken 
on  board  the  boat,  where  it  greatly  amused  the  children. 

We  left  the  dock  at  half-past  three  in  one  of  the 
heaviest  rains  we  had  so  far  seen.  A short  distance  from 
here  we  passed  Bishop’s  Point,  and  if  we  had  had  more 
time  would  have  turned  off  into  Taku  Inlet,  and  sailed  up 
to  a very  large  glacier  which  is  at  the  head  of  it.  As  we 
passed  through  Stevens’  Passage  we  left  Holcomb’s  Bay  on 
our  left.  The  old  pilot  we  had  on  board  told  us  that  some 
twenty  years  ago,  while  he  was  sailing  in  this  vicinity  as 
mate  on  a vessel,  the  ship  anchored  here  one  night  and 
did  some  trading"  with  the  Indians.  There  was  some  mis- 
understanding  between  the  captain  and  the  chief  of  the 
tribe,  and  the  captain,  in  some  way,  insulted  the  Indians. 
That  night  the  savages  boarded  the  ship,  and,  taking  pos- 
session, completely  stripped  her,  the  crew  barely  escaping 
with  their  lives. 

At  nine  o’clock,  on  the  morning  of  Saturday,  May  25th, 
the  clouds  broke  away  as  we  were  entering  Prince  Fred- 
erick Sound,  coming  through  Stevens’  Passage  from 


' 'vAi 


i.  i^l 


;fV 


f 


,-  L'  ' Vv  0 r • . 


- 

;^C'r>V  ■ 

/:/  ^vf 


JuneaiL  (Alaska)  and  Harbor 


Ca/ifoiyita  - Alaska. 


% 


IT: 


P 

V S 


3 


»3? 


pfate  'S'ai  fuTl  one  hund^  and'siyty 

aiiw<^  oti  dH  l^iS*  trip  pi  the  Ancon^  drawn  tq,ihe  loc  AbvjF 
on  ^ctcpkOti-A  lirt:  gffeat  mining  excitement  which  existet' 
'tlicre  Ai  the  rime.  Only  a few  days  before  we  arrived,  a 
jjtHr  a|^out  thirty  miles  south  of  the  town,  a^rich 

sj^er  iWe  which  assayed  $i6o  per  ton.  While  at  Juncan,  v 
#f*  'Special  request  of  a young  lady  in  New  York, 

touch  interested  in  the  work,  we  called  upon  y 
Matthews*  who  iS  in  chaise  of  the  Presby terian^^^^ 
.^While  'making  this  call  ^we  ‘^w-  a young 
J»r  id*  kwprt; ; we  ^rchascd  it,  and  had  it  taken'^ 

v*n  the  ^a*,  wherd  it  greotly  arnused  the  children. 

* 4ikk  4l  half-jiast  three  in  one  /thf  ' 
hedio.fer  seen.  . A short  distance  from 

ev  jjw  Point,  end  if  we  had  had  more 

to  a w%  iarj^  gljwler  which  ts  at  the  head  of  it.^  As  we 
passed  t^ft>*'jjh  btcvcns’  Passage  we  left  Holcomb’s  Bayoh'» 
our  left.-  ,The  old  pil6t  ;ive  had  on  board  told  us  that  some 
, i^cntf^ycscn  ago,  while^he  was  sailing  in  this  vicinity  as 
vi45r*-  x>n  a vessel,  the  ship  anchored  here  one  night  and 
^ some  trading  with  the  Indians.  There  was  some  mis- 
lOdcrstanding  between, the  captain  and  the  chief  of  the 
ribc.  and  the  captain,  in  some  way,  insulted  the  Indies,* 
ml  night  the  ^vages  boarded  the  ship,  and,  taking ’poir-^ 
completely  stripped  her,  the  crew  barely  escaping 
mtv^»jU«dr  lives.  ' mr  r 

M ?ifoe  o’clock,  on  the  morning  of  Satundayj  May  25th,  ^ 
tlwrtirtuii®  broke  away  as  we  were  entering  Prince -Fred- 
erick  Sen^nd,  coming'  * tluough  Stevena  Passage  from 

♦ • ■ • S • !*■  . U"  *V  ’ ^ ^ 


'¥ 


■f4 


>1L.^ 


!»)  d 


f 


Indian  Village,  Alert  Bay,  Alaska. 


lu-JHIfT'^T 


hi  Alaskan  l^Vatei^s. 


1 69 

Juneau.  We  here  retraced  our  steps  through  Wrangel 
Narrows,  and,  after  leaving  the  narrows,  bore  off  to  our 
left  for  Fort  Wrangel.  In  the  sunshine  on  this  day  the 
country  looked  beautiful,  and  it  was  the  first  opportunity 
we  had  had  for  many  days  to  take  a really  good  photo- 
graph. 

On  our  arrival  at  Fort  Wrangel,  at  half-past  one,  every 
one  went  ashore.  The  town  consists  of  about  forty  or 
fifty  Indian  houses,  two  missions  and  stores,  and  two  or 
three  houses  in  which  a few  white  people  live.  Fort 
Wrangel  is  chiefly  celebrated  for  its  totem  poles,  of  which 
the  accompanying  sketch  will  give  a very  good  idea,  as 
it  will  also  of  the  street  and  stores.  We  understood  that 
there  was  a large  cannery  about  thirty  miles  north  of  this 
place,  but  we  did  not  have  time  to  visit  it. 

After  spending  an  hour  and  a half  on  shore,  we  started 
on  our  way  to  Vancouver.  The  bear  which  we  obtained  at 
Juneau  proved  to  be  a great  source  of  pleasure  to  the 
children.  He  grew  tame  very  rapidly,  and  became  quite  a 
pet. 

Sunday,  May  26th,  was  the  first  really  pleasant  day  we 
had  had  since  leaving  Vancouver,  more  than  a week 
before.  As  already  stated,  we  had  had  an  hour  or  two  of 
sunlight  at  times,  but  this  particular  Sunday  was  lovely 
from  beginning  to  end  ; there  was  not  only  an  absence  of 
rain,  but  the  weather  was  so  mild  that  we  were  all  able  to 
sit  on  the  deck  throughout  the  entire  day.  On  the  same 
evening,  however,  as  we  were  crossing  Charlotte  Sound, 
about  half-way  over.  It  began  to  rain  very  hard,  and  by 

eight  o’clock  it  became  so  thick  that  we  had  difficulty  in 

22 


I/O 


CaUfomia  and  Alaska. 


finding  our  way  into  the  narrows  beyond.  We  looked 
forward  eagerly  to  our  arrival  at  Vancouver  the  following 
day,  as  we  expected  to  find  there  mail  and  telegrams  ; for 
the  ten  preceding  days  we  had  had  no  chance  of  receiving 
any  communication  from  our  friends. 


]/Vr angel,  Alaska. 


'■'fpl  Si 


t t ■ 


170,,^  . Calif ornid  ti»d  Alaska.  - 

O . .P.IC  i,i^.-i ...  . - ^ "* - 

„ If' 'AT.  -w 


f!- 


‘‘/?'  /- ’ ^ finding  onr  way  ii«to.  the  narrows  beyond.  We  KVJuwi.  ’ 

j!  . * ' forward  ea^gerfy  to  our  arrival  at  Vancotiver** the  fol^wiring: 

.'■Jk, '■«d''.-jlS^‘  ' ' 


!l- 


f 


% 


Kfl 


day,  a®  wc  e.xfxicted  to  find  there  mail  and  telegrams ; for 
the  ten  j^ererding  days  we  luad.had  no  chance  of  receiving  ^ 
V ^n  ^ communication  from  our  friends. 


^ &r  ' - ■ 


»-4  . 


,w- 


M c-  ' 


't  - r; 


’i'  ■ t 


,V 

y^'"'  ■ ■* 


tJl 


L3 


■*,' 


"’i-' 


'3*'  f 


-,{.  re . "'ii'r? 


r'rWSI 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

VICTORIA— WINNIPEG— HUNTING  EXPE- 
RIENCES. 

WE  arrived  at  Vancouver  about  five  o’clock  on  the 
afternoon  of  Monday,  May  27th,  and  found 
there  a large  number  of  mail-bags,  telegrams, 
and  packages  awaiting  us.  We  remained  until  eight 
o’clock,  removing  our  spare  baggage  and  attending  to 
necessary  correspondence,  when  we  left  for  Victoria,  which 
we  reached,  after  a pleasant  run,  during  the  night. 

After  breakfast.  In  the  morning,  we  went  to  the  office  of 
the  Northern  Pacific  Express  Company,  and  found  there 
two  lost  mail-bags,  which  we  should  have  received  at 
Lake  Pend  d’Oreille.  In  the  morning  we  took  a drive 
around  the  town  ; In  the  afternoon  some  of  the  party  took 
a steam  launch  and  made  a trip  to  Esquimalt  and  the 
English  naval  depot,  while  the  rest  drove  over  there  in 
carriages.  The  roads  on  the  island  are  excellent,  being 
macadamized  as  they  are  in  England.  A number  of 
English  men-of-war  are  stationed  here,  among  them  some 
of  the  latest  and  most  approved  ironclads. 

Victoria  is  the  capital  of  British  Columbia,  and  Is  in  the 
southern  part  of  Vancouver  Island.  From  the  city  one 


172 


Calif omia  and  Alaska. 


has  a fine  view  of  the  Olympia  Mountains,  just  across  the 
straits  in  Oregon,  and,  to  the  east,  snow-capped  Mount 
Baker,  There  is  one  railway  on  the  island,  and  it  leads  to 
the  mountains,  the  coal-fields,  and  to  the  harbor  of  Na- 
liaimo.  Fine  deposits  of  anthracite  coal  are  said  to  exist 
in  the  far  interior  of  the  western  portion  of  the  island. 
During  the  summer  months  a steamer  leaves  Victoria 
every  two  weeks  for  Alaska.  The  climate  is  much  like 
that  of  the  south  of  England. 

On  our  return  from  Esquimalt  we  all  met  at  the  /r/- 
ander,  and  through  the  courtesy  of  Captain  Irving  enjoyed 
a sail  up  the  “ Arm,”  a beautiful  inlet  from  the  sea,  both 
shores  of  which  are  lined  with  handsome  villas,  occupied 
by  wealthy  residents  of  Victoria, 

We  returned  to  the  boat  in  time  for  dinner,  and  im- 
mediately afterward  started  for  Vancouver.  Instead  of 
following  a direct  route  we  ran  around  to  Esquimalt 
Harbor,  and  sailed  in  among  the  English  ironclads,  thus 
getting  a very  good  view  of  the  fleet. 

Our  trip  on  the  steamer  Islander  was  charming  and 
was  thoroughly  enjoyed,  much  of  our  pleasure  being  due  to 
the  kindness  and  courtesy  of  Captains  Carroll  and  Irving, 
both  of  whom  took  special  pains  to  describe  the  various 
points  we  visited.  During  the  ten  days  we  were  on 
board  the  steamer,  our  life  was  comfortable  in  the 
extreme.  There  was  no  part  of  the  boat  which  we  were 
not  welcome  to  visit,  and  most  of  the  men,  when  not 
below  with  the  ladies,  spent  the  greater  part  of  their 
time  in  Captain  Irving’s  apartment,  or  in  the  pilot- 
house. 


Fraser  Canyo7t,  showing  Four  Tunnels 
above  Spuzzum,  Canadian 
Pacific  Railwy. 


trorma 


. lidS-hit, 


ha.s  :i  fine  view  tJi‘  " “ la  Mountains,  aci  >.•* 

:virct3tfi  in  < ►tv  » v r\no  to  the  east,  snow-cappeo  Moj;  : , 
Baktrr.  I • V ’ : ‘lie  railway  on  the  island,  and  ii  leads  tc» 

the  coal-fields,  and  to  the  harl>r»r  of  ^ 

•'  r'V“  . me  deposits  of  anthracite  coal  are  said  to  ^ist 
in  mterior  of  the  western  portion  of  the  island 

the  summer  months  a steamer  leaves  Victoria 
•very  two  we:tiks  for  Alaska.  The  climate  is  much  like 
f;:at  of  the  so.Uth  of  England. 

On  our  return  from  Esquimalt  we  all  met  at  the 
ri<vcvr. -4 nd  through  the  courtesy  of  Captain  Irving  enjoyed! . 

' i ~ ~ — ^ 

.»  ‘ the  “Arm.”  a beautiful  Inlet  from  the  .sea,  B. 

' / whirn  an?  lined  with  h.mdsome  villas,  occupiedf^*^ 


■■•I 


>'Vt. 


n- 


rW^ 


> *•  t*  ^ 


I '-mW-  to  Esquimau 

Harbor,  English  ironclads,  thus 

getting  a veiy  ^’^ooti  view  oNtne  iieet. 

Our  trip  on  the  steamer  /s/ani/er  -w^ls  charming  and 
was  thoroughly  enjoyed^  much  of  our  pleasure  being  due  toT 
the  kindness  and  courtesy  of  Captains  Carroll  and  Irving, 
both  of  whom  took  .special  pains  to  describe  the  various 
points  wc  visited.  During  the  ten  days  we  were  on 
board  the  steamer,  our  life  was  comfortable  in  the 
extreme.  There  tvas  no  part  of  the  boat which  we  were 
not  welcome  to  visit,  and  most  of  the  men.  when  not 
below  with  the  ladies,  spent  the  greater  part  of  their 
' time  in  Captain  Irving's  apartment  dr  in  the  pilot- 


house 


. .1 


« a. 


Htiniing  Rxpericnces.  1 73 

Although  we  thoroughly  appreciated  the  grandeur, 
magnificence,  and  novelty  of  the  scenery  we  had  witnessed 
during  our  ten  days  in  Alaskan  waters,  yet  we  were  all 
quite  agreed  that  weird,  strange,  and  grand  though  it 
might  be,  it  did  not  begin  to  equal  what  we  had  seen 
on  the  Canadian  Pacific  road  near  Mount  Stephen  when 
we  crossed  the  Rockies,  or  Mount  Macdonald  when  we 
journeyed  over  the  Selkirks. 

On  our  return  to  Vancouver,  on  the  morning  of  May 
29th,  we  found  our  special  train  backed  down  upon  the 
wharf,  ready  to  receive  us  for  our  homeward  trip.  Every 
thing  was  immediately  transferred  from  the  boat  to  the 
cars.  We  had  intended  stopping  over  at  Shuswap  Lake 
to  fish,  but  we  received  word  from  Mr.  Marpole  that  the 
flies  and  mosquitoes  were  biting  faster  than  the  fish  ; he  in- 
formed us  it  would  be  better  to  continue  directly  to  Banff. 

Our  train  really  looked  better  now  than  on  the  day  we 
started  from  New  York;  the  trucks  of  the  cars  had  all 
been  overhauled  and  painted.  Mr.  Abbott  did  all  he 
possibly  could  for  our  comfort. 

The  ride  up  the  Fraser  River  Canyon  was  extremely 
interesting  ; the  scenery  seemed  to  be  even  more  beautiful 
than  it  did  the  day  we  journeyed  down.  We  arrived  at 
the  junction  of  the  Thompson  and  Fraser  rivers  about 
three  o’clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  reached  Kamloops 
Lake  about  seven  o’clock,  just  as  we  were  about  sitting 
down  to  dinner.  None  of  us  before  had  realized  what  a 
beautiful  sheet  of  water  this  is.  We  reached  Kamloops 
about  nine  o’clock,  where  Mr.  Marpole  and  his  master 
mechanic  met  us. 


174 


California  and  Alaska. 


As  it  rained  very  hard  on  the  morning  of  May  30th, 
we  abandoned  our  intention  of  going  to  the  Glacier,  and 
rode  directly  through  to  Banff.  As  we  passed  through  we 
were  unable  to  see  Mount  Macdonald  owing  to  the  fog 
and  mist  hanging  over  it ; but  the  scenery  going  up  from 
Macdonald,  alongside  of  the  Kicking  Horse  Canyon  to  the 
summit  underneath  Mount  Stephen,  seemed  to  us  even 
grander  than  it  did  on  our  outward  trip.  We  arrived 
at  Banff  about  four  o’clock,  where  we  took  carriages  and 
drove  to  the  Hot  Springs,  and  afterwards  to  the  Hotel 
Banff,  which  is  kept  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway. 
Here  we  had  an  excellent  dinner,  after  which  we  walked 
to  the  Bow  River  and  then  back  to  the  cars  in  the 
eveninof. 

Banff  is  a station  for  the  Rocky  Mountain  Park  of 
Canada.  This  park  is  twenty-si.x  miles  long,  about  ten  wide, 
and  embraces  the  valleys  of  the  Bow,  Spray,  and  Cascade 
rivers,  Devil’s-Head  Lake,  and  many  mountains  beyond. 
The  hotel  here  is  kept  by  the  railroad  company  in  the 
finest  and  most  approved  style.  It  was  as  good  as  any 
hotel  we  stopped  at  on  our  journey,  almost  equalling  the 
hotel  at  Monterey.  The  building  is  beautifully  located 
on  the  side  of  the  mountain  overlooking  the  Bow  River 
Valley,  is  supplied  with  every  modern  convenience  and 
luxury  that  one  could  wish  for,  and  is  kept  open  during 
the  entire  year.  A photograph  of  the  view  from  the 
hotel  is  given  on  another  page. 

Many  excursions  are  made  from  here  into  the  moun- 
tains by  sportsmen,  who  can  readily  obtain  the  horses  and 
camping  outfits  necessary  for  a two  or  three  weeks’ 


Hotel  Banff,  Caiiadian  National  Park, 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway. 


1 


« 


174  Ca li/or nui  ‘md  Alaska 

As  it  ratnH  '^rry  on  the  morning  of  May  ;;oth, 
\vc.  ahan4f,  *»iir  intention  of  going  to  the  Glacier,  ativI 
r»Kif  in  ' i ough  to  Banff.  As  we  passed  through  wc 

weiv  to  see  Mount  Macdonald  owing  to  the  fog 

>.  ’ • ' hanging  over  it ; but  the  scenery  going  up  from 

i.  •<  nald,  alongside  of  the  Kicking  Horse  Canyon  to  the 
ss-  (!$;:  underneath  Mount  Stephen,  seemed  to  us  even 
gt.i*mier  than  it  did  on  our  outward  trip.  We  arrived 
at  Banff  about  four  o’clock,  where  we  took  carriages  and 
drove  to  the  Hot  Springs,  and  afterwards  to  the  Hotel 
Banff,  which  is  kept  by  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway. 
Here  we  had  an  'rx(.cliei‘t  dinnnr,  after  which  we  walked 
thr  Bow  River  and  then  back  to  the  cars  in  the 


.and  3?J5i5l'>i^5^sOand  Cascade 

rivers,  Devil’s- Head  Lake,  and  many  mountains  beyond. 
The  hotel  here  is  kept  by  the  railroad  company  in  the 
finest  and  most  approved  style.  It  was  as  good  as  any 
liotel  we  stopped  at  on  our  journey,  almost  equalling  the 
hotel  at  Monterey,  The  building  is  beautifully  located 
on  the  side  of  the  mountain  overlooking  the  Bow  River 
Valley’,  is  supplied  with  every  modern  convenience  and 
luxury  that  one  could  wish  for,  and  is  kept  open  diiring 
the  entire  year.  A photograph  of  the  view  from  the 
hotel  is  given  on  another  page. 

Many’  excursions  are  made  from  here  Into  the  moun- 
tains by  sportsmen,  who  can  readily  obtain  the  horses  and 
camping  outfits  necessary’  for  a two  or  three  weeks’ 


V 


View  from  Banff  Hotel,  Looking  down 
Bozu  Valley,  Canadian  Pacific 
Railway. 


• ■ ., 

¥ 


-> 


llunting  Experie^tces.  175 

sojourn.  The  mountains  surrounding  Banff  average  in 
height  from  seven  to  ten  thousand  feet.  Devil’s-Head 
Lake  is  situated  at  the  very  foot  of  Fairholme  Mountains. 
The  illustration  of  Lake  Louise  near  Laggan,  given 
elsewhere,  will  furnish  an  excellent  idea  of  the  appearance 
of  Devil’s-Head  Lake.  It  is  situated  in  the  very  heart  of 
snow-capped  mountains,  its  shores  rising  perpendicularly 
out  of  the  water  with  little  if  any  vegetation  upon  them. 
The  depth  of  the  lake  is  in  proportion  to  the  height  of 
the  mountains  at  its  sides.  We  had  heard  that  very  large 
trout  were  to  be  obtained  in  this  lake,  and  consequently 
had  made  arrangements  to  drive  out  there  in  two  wagons. 
As  it  was  early  in  the  season  we  were  not  able  to  obtain 
many  boats  ; a few  of  the  party  went  out,  however,  and 
after  an  hour’s  fishing  Mr.  Kean  returned  with  a forty- 
two-pound  lake  trout.  This  locality  is  particularly  cele- 
brated for  big-horned  sheep,  and  mountain  goats  are 
common  on  the  neighboring  heights. 

The  Sulphur  Springs  at  Banff  are  highly  appreciated 
by  invalids.  The  air  here  is  soft  and  balmy,  and  the 
records  show  that  the  winters  are  not  as  severe  in  the 
valley  as  one  might  be  led  to  expect.  The  government 
has  built  excellent  roads,  running  in  different  directions, 
all  through  the  valley  and  up  the  mountain  sides.  A 
good  livery  is  kept  at  the  hotel,  where  horses  and 
carriages  can  be  obtained  for  excursions  in  the  vicinity. 
Bridle-paths  have  also  been  cut  to  quite  a distance  in  the 
mountains.  A party  could  stay  a couple  of  weeks  here 
with  very  great  profit,  not  only  on  account  of  the  shooting 
and  fishing,  but  for  the  pleasure  that  would  be  derived 


1/6 


California  and  Alaska, 


from  excursions  to  the  different  points  of  interest.  A 
picture  of  the  hotel  is  given  on  another  page. 

We  stopped  for  a few  minutes  about  ten  miles  farther 
east,  at  Anthracite,  a place  where  discoveries  of  anthracite 
coal  have  been  made.  From  that  point  we  did  not  stop 
until  we  reached  C'algary,  where  we  remained  about  half 
an  hour,  at  the  request  of  the  mayor  and  some  of  the 
prominent  citizens,  and  enjoyed  a drive  around  the  city. 
Calgary  can  be  compared  to  the  town  of  Great  Falls,  in 
Montana  ; it  seems  to  be  similarly  located,  and  will  event- 
ually become  a distributing  point  for  the  mines  and 
mountain  region  surrounding  it  ; it  is  understood  that 
this  is  now  the  case  with  regard  to  the  Northwest  and 
Mackenzie  River  country.  The  growth  of  this  town  with- 
in the  past  four  years  has  been  something  phenomenal. 

From  Calgary  we  hurried  on  eastward  until,  about 
sundown,  we  reached  Medicine  Hat,  situated  on  the 
Saskatchewan  River.  This  place  is  the  home  of  Mr. 
Niblock,  through  whose  energy  enough  funds  have  been 
raised  to  build  a large  hospital  for  the  railroad  people. 
The  station  at  Medicine  Hat  is  one  of  the  prettiest  build- 
ings on  the  prairie  ; the  experimental  garden  in  front  of 
the  building  in  the  summer  time  is  one  mass  of  flowers. 

We  left  Medicine  Hat  at  half-past  six  on  the  evening 
of  May  31st,  taking  with  us  Mr.  Niblock’s  assistant,  Mr. 
Coon,  his  celebrated  ducking  dog  “ Punch,”  and  another 
dog  which  we  borrowed  from  a gentleman  in  Medicine 
Hat.  We  ran  slowly  during  the  evening,  so  timing  our- 
selves as  to  get  within  about  half  a mile  of  Goose  Lake  at 
three  o’clock  in  the  morning.  The  train  was  stopped  here 


Red  Sucker  Cove,  North  Shore  Lake 
Superior,  Canadian  Pacific 
Raikvay. 


itiska. 


l/tMit  cjrrwmoair  '-Hrcnt  points  of  interest.  -\ 

pklitt*' liiff  fcm  . -T  on  another  page. 

VV''  minutes  about  ten  miles  farther 

if  * place  where  discov'eries  of  anthracite 

v»{  ^ i«.‘.  From  that  point  we  did  not  stop 

""Calgary,  where  we  remained  about  half 
request  of  the  mayor  and  some  of  the 
‘•ii’cns,  and  enjoyed  a drive  around  the  city.- 
• Ue  compared  to  the  town  of  Great  Falls,  in 
. ; !*  ,vn!^ms  to  be  similarly  located,  and  will  event- 

.1  distributing  point  for  the  mines  and 
jf  i.  li  • s. ; -nv  :■  b»’<:  it : h is  understood  that 


t. 


Nofth'.vnst  and 

vX-SiA  with- 

uri'-liin- ^phenomenal. 


.-V  « • I -.11  Uj  M SCI  lUlilCllcll*  , 

'*  ,■  uurned  on  tin;  i^vard  until,  about 

^ . '^ro.ctt5ili?^tyi^\in,e  Hat,  situated  on  the 
River.  This  place  is  the  home  of  Mr. 
.'^ugh  whose  energy  enough  funds  have  been 
•'»tild  a large  hospitaf  for  the  railroad  people, 
e at  Medicine  Hat  is  one  of  the  prettiest  build- 

• prairie  ; the.  experimental  garden  in  front  of 

the  summer  time  is  one  mass  of  flowers. 
'Medicine  Hat  at  half-past  .six  on  the  evening 

• ''•tking  with  us  Mr.  Niblock’s  assistant,  Mr. 
rjted  ducking  dog  “ Punch,”  and  another 
^ irrowcd  from  a.  gentleman  in  Medicine 

.-’v  during  the  evening,  so  timing  our-  , 

- — , It*  ^hout  half  a mile  of  Goose  Lake  a( 

T.^  . ' m 

The  train  was  stopped  here ^ 


>*! 


r: 


Red  Sticker  Tumtel,  Canadian  Pacific 

Railway. 


'I 


H tenting  Experiences. 


177 


on  the  main  track,  Mr.  Coon  having  with  him  a telegraph 
instrument  with  which  he  tapped  the  wires  and  kept  all 
east-  and  west-bound  trains  out  of  the  way.  We  then  had 
coffee,  and  the  gentlemen  of  the  party  started  with  their 
guns  and  walked  up  the  track,  just  as  day  was  breaking. 
As  we  neared  the  lake,  which  lay  to  the  south,  we  could 
hear  geese  and  ducks,  as  well  as  many  other  kinds  of  wild- 
fowl, making  an  incessant  squawking  and  calling.  When 
we  reached  the  lake  we  found  it  fairly  alive  with  geese 
and  ducks  of  every  description  ; snipe,  yellow-legs,  and 
avecet  were  there  in  myriads.  Owing  to  the  easy 
manner  in  which  wild-fowl  can  be  killed  here,  the  lake 
has  been  nicknamed,  by  Mr.  Van  Horne,  “ Blind-hunter’s 
Lake  ” ; he  truthfully  contends  that  all  a man  has  to  do 
is  to  go  there,  fire  off  a gun,  and  he  is  sure  to  hit  some- 
thing. It  must  be  added  however,  that  this  remark  only 
applies  to  the  gunning  season. 

As  it  was  the  close  of  the  season,  and  our  party  only 

desired  to  obtain  a few  specimens  of  game,  to  be  mounted 

in  Winnipeg,  we  separated,  some  of  us  going  to  the  north 

side  of  the  lake,  while  others  went  to  the  opposite  side. 

About  half-past  six  we  returned  to  the  railroad  track, 

at  the  north  end  of  the  lake,  each  with  a few  specimens 

of  almost  every  kind  of  wild-fowl.  All  the  party  then 

went  back  along  the  track,  and  signalled  for  the  train  to 

come  up,  when  we  all  got  on.  We  made  a run  for  a short 

distance  until  we  came  to  another  part  of  the  lake,  where 

a number  of  swan  were  seen.  We  stopped  the  train,  and 

two  of  the  party  tried  to  stalk  them,  but  found  it  impossible 

to  get  near  them,  as  the  swan  would  invariably  get  up 
23 


178 


California  and  Alaska. 


just  before  the  sportsmen  were  within  gun-shot  distance. 
At  Rush  Lake  we  made  another  stop.  This  is,  probably, 
the  finest  shooting  lake  on  the  line  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific ; wild-fowl  shooting  is  said  to  be  better  here  than 
anywjiere  else  along  the  road.  After  spending  a half- 
hour  at  this  lake,  we  all  returned  to  the  train  and  had 
breakfast.  While  waiting  at  the  siding  at  this  lake  we 
were  passed  by  the  west-bound  Continental.  From  Rush 
Lake  to  Winnipeg  we  made  no  stop,  except  to  change 
engines  and  take  water.  We  arrived  at  Winnipeg  at 
about  eleven  o’clock  in  the  evening,  having  made  excep- 
tionally good  time. 

The  following  day,  Sunday,  the  second  of  June,  the 
weather  was  bright,  clear,  and  quite  warm.  Shortly  after 
breakfast  the  American  Consul  called  upon  us,  and  we 
arranged  with  him  for  a visit  to  Governor  Shultz.  Some 
of  the  party  took  carriages  and  drove  to  church. 

In  the  afternoon  the  children  all  took  a drive,  and  the 
men  of  the  party  visited  Mr.  Hines,  the  taxidermist,  and 
left  with  him  a number  of  heads  and  specimens  that  we 
had  procured  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  elsewhere,  such 
as  moose,  elk,  and  the  black-tailed  deer.  The  writer  had 
the  pleasure  of  capturing  one  of  the  largest  moose  heads 
that  had  ever  been  seen  in  that  section  of  the  country  ; 
also  quite  a large  elk  head. 

We  all  enjoyed  our  visit  in  Winnipeg,  especially  our 
call  upon  Governor  Shultz,  whom  we  found  to  be  an 
exceedingly  agreeable  person.  He  was  very  anxious, 
not  only  to  hear  about  our  trip  to  Alaska,  but  also  to  give 
the  writer  information  in  reofard  to  the  Mackenzie  River 

o 


Main  Street,  Winnipeg. 


just  bcft-Tv  v?<.> re  within  gun-shot 

At  I ■ vt;  another  stop.  This  is,  proU*.  A 

dir  .!  ; ‘ i s;.i.i»ting  lake  on  the  line  of  the  Canadiao 
..  w vi-towl  shooting  is  said  to  be  better  h<  n than 
, i else  along  the  road.  After  spending  a half* 

;t  this  lake,  we  all  returned  to  the  train  and  had 
*'<  While  waiting  at  the  siding  at  this  lake  we 

- •‘iv  p^sed  by  the  west-bound  Continental.  From  Rush 
to  Winnipeg  we  made  no  stop,  except  to  change 
♦n  ••  ^»nd  take  water.  We  arrived  at  Winnipeg  at 
i-  - xt  f v'  'A  tl»*  evening,  having  made  excep- 

' * • ^ ‘ r*  eSrti"' 

m , quite  warm.  Shortly  after 

rlri.  A'aver'f  an  Consul  called  upon  us,  and  we 
w’vh  htfn  for  a visit  to  Governor  Shult.^.  Some 

of  thr 

In  the  afternoon  the  children  all  took  a drive,  and  the  • 
men  of  the  party  visited  Mr.  Hines,  the  taxidermist,  and 
left  ^ tth  him  a number  of  heads  and  specimens  that  we 
had  procured  in  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  elsewhere,  such 
moose,  elk,  and  the  black-tailed  deer.  The  writer  had 
H)c  pleasure  of  capturing  one  of  the  largest  moose  heads 
•luit  had  ever  been  seen  in  that  section  of  the  country ; 
'.!io  quite  a large  elk  head. 

^ We  all  enjoyed  our  visit  in  Winnipeg,  especially  our 
u’oon  Governor  Shultz,  whom-  we  found  to  be  an 
Singly  agreeable  person.  He  wa«  ver)^  anxious, 

- to  hear  about  our  trip  to  Alaska,  but  .also  to  give 
. mformation  in  reeard  to  the  Mackenzie  River 


i 


Canadian  Backwoods  Bea^n, 
Sitdbury,  Canadia^i  Pacific 
Railway. 


near 


* 'K'f. 

* ^ 

A 

■ • • 


. . ' *•' 


f ♦ 


% 


I r 


A 


\ . 


J 


Hunting  hxperiences. 


•79 


Basin  country,  of  which  he  had  made  a study,  having 
been  a member  of  a commission,  appointed  some  years 
ago  by  the  Canadian  Government,  to  make  a report  on 
the  subject.  He  kindly  furnished  us  with  a copy  of  this 
document.  He  was  very  anxious  that  some  time  in  the 
near  future  the  writer  should  make  up  a party  and  visit 
the  Mackenzie  River,  following  it  down  to  its  outlet.  He 
explained  that  this  scheme  was  quite  practicable,  provided 
the  writer  could  obtain  a letter  from  the  Hudson  Bay 
Company  giving  him  the  right  to  use  their  boats  on  the 
river  or  its  tributaries,  wherever  they  might  be  found  ; 
and  he,  very  kindly,  gave  the  assurance  that  he  could 
obtain  such  a letter.  Such  a trip,  he  estimated,  would 
occupy  about  five  or  six  months. 

Winnipeg,  the  capital  of  Manitoba,  is  situated  at  the 
junction  of  the  Red  and  Assiniboine  rivers,  both  of  which 
are  navigable  by  steamships.  For  many  years  this  city 
has  been  the  chief  post  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and 
to-day  that  company  carries  on  a very  large  business  with 
the  people  in  the  regions  to  the  north  and  west.  As  it 
was  Sunday  we  were  not  able  to  visit  the  warehouses  of 
the  Hudson  Bay  Company,  and  could  only  see  them  from 
the  outside.  They  look  more  like  large  military  barracks 
than  the  buildings  of  a private  company.  Governor  Shultz 
informed  us  that  in  former  years  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany were  government,  counsel,  and  every  thing  else  to 
this  part  of  the  country  ; that  they  made  their  own  laws, 
and  even  conducted  the  trials.  He  also  informed  us  that 
very  few  people  believe  Lord  Lonsdale  ever  penetrated 
the  Arctic  region  as  far  as  he  claimed  he  did  ; in  fact,  that 


i8o 


Calif 07'uia  and  Alaska. 


reports  from  Hudson  Bay  officials  said  that  no  such 
person  had  ever  been  at  certain  posts,  and  that  it  was 
next  to  impossible  for  him  to  have  gone  over  to 
Mollesten’s  Land,  or  even  to  the  eastern  Arctic  coast 
opposite  ; — besides,  the  trip  from  here  westward  to  the 
Yukon  would  have  recjuired  a longer  period. 

The  city  is  situated  on  a level  plain  ; the  streets  are 
very  broad,  and  the  buildings  mostly  of  brick.  An  illus- 
tration of  the  main  street  in  Winnipeg  is  given  elsewhere. 
Within  the  last  few  years  the  town,  of  course,  has  grown 
very  rapidly,  owing  to  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  pass- 
ing through  it  and  the  Manitoba  Railroad  reaching  it  from 
the  south.  Many  branches  of  railroad  now  centre  here. 
The  Hudson  Bay  Company  have  a railway,  which,  when  we 
were  at  Winnipeg,  was  completed  as  far  as  Shoal  Lake, 
forty  miles  to  the  northwest.  The  depot  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific  Railway  in  this  city  is  a handsome  and  imposing 
building,  and  is  the  divisional  headquarters  for  that  part 
of  the  road  from  Port  Arthur  to  Donald,  a distance  of 
one  thousand  four  hundred  and  fifty-four  miles  ; this  is 
called  the  Western  Division.  The  land  offices  of  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway  are  also  located  here. 

In  conversing  with  the  taxidermist,  Mr.  Hines,  and  his 
son,  both  of  whom  are  ardent  sportsmen,  they  gave  very 
interesting  accounts  of  the  game  that  can  be  found  north 
of  Winnipeg,  at  Lake  Winnipeg.  This  game  includes 
moose,  caribou,  bear,  and,  in  the  fall,  any  number  of 
ducks.  They  also  informed  us  that  the  facilities  for 
getting  to  the  hunting  grounds  were  very  good.  The 
sportsman  could  follow  the  Hall  River  nearly  the  whole 


Alaskan  Game,  Killisnoo. 


1 


'‘r"  ' 


_t  ' ■ '>*■???  ' 

Bi.  '*''*  •'  ■ v»  ' ■-■> ‘t-'.r'- • . 

^ 1 ••  ' ^.^-  ‘ ’ *■  ''JP 

1^51^  :..A  ,"#»?!  Ht  certain  pos^ ana ,^thatj 

mrjft  uk/M^^^Ap^S4^K!  fbjT  him  to  hav^?gQin^jCo«'<?«i'> 

^ »* or  even  to  the  casteri^Arcti^^cS 

•t  ■ ■ ' _ - . -^  ■ J*  ' -'^/. ' Tl'  , _ 

4#»yt.'5.  the  trip  froitS*  here  weawwd  ^ ~ 

W requii^  a longer  p^iod-  ^ 

‘ 4 ‘ P'*'  ^ ■^i^ated  oa  a 1^1^.  p4*A.  > - the^stre^t^|ure 

“ If*  hi'iiiid  aurl  the  building  mostly  hf  bri^^ ^ An  jlfo  _‘'f 
-r-Ai^.pf'  the^ niaift  streijt  In^innipeg’ b giy^^  elsewhiSrd^, . .^‘|T 
the  list  f^w  years>  th(S  lowjn,  of  cour^®has.gi^^^I^^!^/ 
rai^ily; owing  to  the  CaoadUi^ ^aijwqy  j^s- V 
4K^>hr.K^h  i»»d  the  M am^bk'l^ail roa^f'rciicT^g |t  ij^>n  ^ ' * 


/•  ;-4 


CCfe:,  ‘V^Aiiy  hran>chf:»  of  railroad  now  cehtsre  ^h^c.-: 

..  ....  . . .-.-■  Ca^o  - ■' 


? to  tKe.#orihw)i#«»  l*ne  dept^  of  the  v^anaofan  ;;^ 
Jhcific*  RailMjJry  city  is  a Iiandsoj^  andj/wip4$^i>^ 

hejiivisiohai  headqu|rt#^  ft 

Port  iVrthur,  to,IionaKl’;ia‘^dist^t 


£ building,  u«d  :*.  jthe 

^ ‘-V  ^ *’  . ■'  ^ ^.  . -j.  « ■ ■ - 

;<if  the  njlili  froiA'' iVrthur,  to,DbnaKl;i^dist^c<j  of 
four  hundred  and' ;‘  thi^  is 
i ^ Westerd' Division., , Th^Hlandv'^ce.s^af  thc^ 

hie  Railway  are  aTsd  locjrte^lwt:^  * / . jf| 

j r 'Hv«^fer#tng  witli  the  taxid&mist/  I\^r.’' DHines,  and,  hia 


*<  «kf  whom  are  ardeot.^sportsmen^vl:hey.gave  very  jj 
cMj!rti^<|M|a^6unts  of  fhe  game  that  tan d>c  found  north 
^ LailkQ.iWihnipcg;  Tltis  game 
l«ar,  and,  m the  /alli'^aoy,  nohiber  of 
>h»*^.g*Sp — informed* us  that  tlic  bcilitiiM  a 

grounds  wt^  vet^'  goo-i.  ^J’hc  jj 

thf  HaU  Rfver  qeatb'  ihtj^a^olr 


’ IB 


Skirting  Nepigon  Bay,  Canadian  Pacific 

Railway. 


\ - 


< 


V 


. <*. 


\ T^ 


■y 

0T 

'*•  !♦ 


C -i 

^ "i: 


i 

i' 


j' '- 


9 


r 


I 


t 


4 


HtL7iting  Hxperiences 


i8i 


distance,  part  of  the  way  by  steamboat  and  the  rest  of  the 
way  in  canoes,  making  it  exceedingly  easy  to  take  plenty 
of  supplies.  The  country  is  said  to  resemble  very  much 
the  Adirondacks  or  the  lake  region  of  Minnesota  from 
the  fact  that,  for  miles  and  miles  the  hunter  can  vo  from 
one  lake  to  another,  oftentimes  without  having  to  make 
any  carry,  while  at  others  he  would  only  have  from  one 
to  three  hundred  feet  carry  to  make.  They  told  us,  also, 
that  the  grounds  for  camping  were  excellent  ; in  fact, 
from  their  account  we  came  to  the  conclusion  that  a trip 
there  during  the  months  of  September  or  October  would 
amply  repay  any  sportsman. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

FROM  WINNIPEG,  HOMEWARD  BOUND. 

WE  left  Winnipeg  at  three  o’clock  on  the  after- 
noon of  June  2d,  arriving  at  Rat  Portage 
about  sundown.  The  scenery  west  from  Lake 
Winnipeg  was  very  similar  to  what  we  had  seen  the  two 
preceding  days,  until  we  approached  Rat  Portage,  when 
there  were  some  very  picturesque  views  and  numerous 
rock-bound  lakes  that  we  passed,  many  of  which  were 
studded  with  small  islands  and  were  very  pretty. 

We  arrived  at  Port  Arthur  about  six  o’clock  on  the 
morning  of  June  3d,  first  stopping  at  Fort  William. 
The  ride  by  moonlight  the  night  before  was  through 
scenery  different  from  any  thing  we  had  seen  heretofore. 
The  road  twisted  and  turned  around  many  low  hills, 
across  small  lakes,  winding  down  rivers,  running  all  the 
time  through  an  exceedingly  picturesque  country.  The 
effect  of  the  moonlight,  now  and  then  falling  upon  these 
beautiful  lakes,  of  which  there  was  almost  a continuous 
line,  was  so  pleasing  as  to  induce  many  of  the  party  to  sit 
out  on  the  rear  platform  until  quite  late  in  the  evening. 
If  we  had  not  been  in  a hurry  to  reach  Nepigon,  where 

182 


Nepigon  River,  and  Htuison  Bay  Com- 
pany's Post,  Looking  down  the  River 
from  near  Canadian  Pacific 
Railway  Bridge. 


viiwFTns  xxn. 


i-ROM  V.  I sNi-pEG,  HOME'A'ARD  BOUND.  * 


‘ ^ ‘rthipeiJ  at  th rep  o’clock  oi>  the 

\/\ / 2<\,  afrtvirt|f  , 

T ahont  sundown.  TH^  'A.i„nery  UaJee 


pr<xedin«  ‘ l-t\s, ‘ii  ;i’  . , . , _ 

.V^aA  V,  '/ 


''•^-'  were 

W^.  arnv  ■ •'■ '^' O'”.  .'vi'ui".i'  . i)i)ut  ;-.ix  o clock  Vsn  thQ 
>vmni:  «1  .'ilBw  3d,  airst  stoppinfr  at  f^oit  William 
■•  ‘ '!•  t'V  u;v  aiijj^'t  th-e  ni^lu  beCore  wiff  t^uk*i 

i v h.verert  I'v-r^i  .>oy  thing  we  fearl  s($en  hcnTit»forp- 
' ‘ iwislcr'  and'  U;  me  cl  around  mmy  low,  hiiln, 


>!:  Ukc.s,  wirtdi.nt;  clown  riv  r-i  n rinlp.|^  all  the 
• (M  • ,,i>  an  ‘'V’^cdih^ly  y)icr^res..jut ’oountrv  ‘I'hc 
» ' -a  • ■ njooiili^i  L.  now  and  then  ’ ;-;;n  thc^sp 

. '•-tvi,  of  which  .thurr  w'ur.  nlmoia  a .-on:  - uous 


as. to  i.nducc  many  of  the  iMi  iy  t - sit 
*'■  p .i’'  -rsh  U4itil  quite  late  in  t'K-  <-■■  ••  ong. 


\,>jaSsuMm 


Thunder  Cape,  Lake  SupeiHor. 


From  Winnipeg,  Homeward  Boimd.  183 


the  party  proposed  to  have  some  fishing,  we  would  have 
stopped  over  at  Winnipeg  until  the  morning,  in  order  to 
enjoy  this  scenery,  which,  though  it  was  not  grand,  was 
exceedingly  beautiful. 

We  arrived  at  Port  Arthur,  more  commonly  called 
Prince  Arthur’s  Landing,  at  about  eight  o’clock  in  the 
morning,  and  remained  there  until  the  Indians,  who 
were  to  accompany  us  on  our  fishing  tour,  arrived  from 
Fort  William,  about  half-past  one.  We  procured  a box- 
car for  the  canoes.  The  morning  was  occupied  in  visiting 
various  stores,  and  purchasing  provisions  and  needed 
articles  for  the  four  or  five  days’  camping  trip  up  the 
Nepigon.  We  also  went  down  to  the  docks,  and  went 
through  one  of  the  fine  steam-ships  of  the  Canadian 
Pacific  Company,  which  ply  between  Port  Arthur  and 
Owen’s  Sound.  Both  this  place  and  Fort  William  are 
noted  for  having  a great  number  of  large  grain  elevators. 
The  extensive  docks  at  Port  Arthur  are  also  a notable 
feature  of  the  place. 

The  steam-ship  that  we  took  here  was  a passenger 
boat,  fitted  up  with  every  modern  luxury  and  convenience. 
The  engine-room  was  so  arranged  that  visitors,  instead  of 
being  warned  away  by  the  sign  “No  Admittance,”  were 
permitted  to  go  through  almost  every  part  of  it.  These 
boats  were  built  on  the  Clyde,  in  Scotland,  and  the 
different  pieces  brought  to  this  country  and  put  together 
at  Lake  Superior.  The  principal  freight  carried  by  them 
is  grain. 

Directly  across  the  bay  from  Port  Arthur  is  Thunder 
Cape,  a view  of  which  is  given  on  another  page.  Behind 


184 


California  and  Alaska. 


this  cape  is  Silver  Islet,  noted  for  having  yielded 
fabulous  amounts  of  silver  ore.  On  the  Western  Division, 
west  of  Port  Arthur,  “ Central  ” time  and  the  twenty- 
four-hour  system  are  used.  East  of  Port  Arthur,  Eastern 
time  and  the  old  twelve-hour  system  are  used. 

We  made  the  short  run  from  Port  Arthur  to  Nepigon, 
and  immediately  on  our  arrival  went  down  the  Hudson 
Bay  Company’s  coast  and  called  on  Mr.  Elanagan,  the 
head  official  of  that  company.  He  had  been  notified  by 
Mr.  Van  Horne  to  have  every  thing  ready  for  us  in  the 
way  of  necessary  supplies  ; also  canoes  and  Indians.  We 
procured  from  him  another  boat,  some  Indian  tents  and 
blankets,  and  the  party  started  up  the  river.  It  consisted 
of  Messrs.  Kean,  Purdy,  Prank  Webb,  and  George  Bird  ; 
the  writer  and  Dr.  McLane  had  arranged  to  remain  with 
the  ladies  and  children  while  the  other  members  of  the 
party  made  their  trip  up  the  river.  We  had  heard  that 
the  Nepigon  had  been  pretty  thoroughly  fished,  owing 
to  its  accessibility,  and  we  were  told  that  by  going  on 
to  Jackfish  we  would  find  a number  of  streams,  both  east 
and  west,  that  could  easily  be  reached,  and  where  the 
fishing  was  very  good.  We  arrived  at  Jackfish,  about 
sundown.  The  road  from  Nepigon  to  Jackfish  sweeps 
around  the  north  shore  of  Lake  Superior,  and  repre- 
sents a section  of  the  railroad  upon  which  some  of  the 
heaviest  work  on  the  entire  line  had  to  be  done.  The 
scene  changes  constantly,  the  road  sometimes  going  over 
deep,  rugged  cuttings,  viaducts,  passing  through  tunnels, 
and  sometimes  on  the  very  face  of  the  cliff.  One  or  two 
miles  of  road  over  which  we  passed  cost  the  company 


Nepigon  Bay,  from  Ahpigon  Stati07t. 


w 


f 


r.. 


m 


«.* 


*Sf:  Calif ornta  and  Alask^^ 

-!.*■>■■ 'iApi^ii I ■ fumim  f4  IfcTi  i^iiTr  — . 


/<<; 


■ft'. 


^ %■ 


/V 


Cal^iilOus  anroup]|!^^  On  the  Western 

I west  time  and  the  tw^<r^  \ 

I Cin^Nhtnir  East  of  Port- Arthur,  EsMem 

I the  qf4  twdvwliour  systOT  are  usedT*  ■, 

W<  made  tli^dsltprt'l^  from  Port  Arthur  to  Nepig^i|i^* 
and  immedia^4|  ori  the  Hudsott 

. Bay  Ccwjipany.^^eoast  a0d  called  on^Mr. ^Flanagan,  the 
'<  head  official  of  dplliat  company.  He  hhd  been  notified  by  , *■ 


Mr.*  Vn^:Honie.to;have  every  .thing  ready  fot^^us^^^in  the 


way  of  nece^a*^  Supplies  ; also  canoes  and  Indians.  We 


S^*v-  ■ 


,;  .4^  ■ — . ' 

li^ocuiedim^m  h boat,  some  iiKiian  tenta 

" - blankets,  and  the  party  started  up  the  river. 


>CL>  ti 

Rii 


m 


J pfjdbsi^.'  gw,  Purdy,  Frank  Webb,  and  George, ^Bird ; 
kh^  Avrrtcr^^d'  Dr.^McFane  had  arranged  tOyremain  with 

of  the 


• « A * 


party  made  tneir  trip  up  the  river.  We  had  heard  that 

“I  .-.  V.  ^ ‘ I • '■ 

^ the^  Nepigoat,h^  pretty  thoroughly  fished,  owthg 
Its-  apci^lbStty';^  and  we  were  told  that  by  going  on 
to  Jaikfish-,we  -%ould  find  a number  of  streams,  both  easti^ll 


4 

^1r 


easily  be  reached,  %nd  where  the 
fishing?. ^yery^-good.  AVe  arrived  at  jackfisk  aSouf  § 

«<5i  -114^..  . . ^ . . t . % H;. 


-Sndowo 

^ around*  the  north;, shore  of  Lake  Superior,  and  repre^ 


The  road  from  Nepigon  to  Jackfish,  5w^ps:  ^*’v^ 

_ r y t 'i5’ 


-.  Vd 


n 


«■> ,'  1^' >'  .V 


WiiHjs  a^  . section'  of  the^  railroad  upon  which  some  of  the 

, * K>..  '■  ■'  ..  ''■■  . . . . ... 


.'A. 


BC;JS '•,  -•#«»! 


0 


heayies^  .work  op  the  entire  line  had  to  be  done.  The 
scene  cha^4^  copstantiy,  the  road  sometimes  going  over 

cuttings,  viaduct^  passing  through  tunnels,  ^ 

■'^.‘  , V - - irf  • . . 1 


, ai)d  soin^m^  oifthe  wery  face  of  the  cliff.  One  or  two 


s>  ol  road'oi 

* t*/. 


.j 


t . j' 


'.'Sii" 


4 Jt 


we  passed  cost  tlic  company 


h 


■ 


A-  „ *' . 


/■'  ( 

r„ . 


/ - 


■ >1 


yackfish  Bay,  Canadian  Pacijic 
Railway. 


From  Winnipeg,  1 Fmeward  Bound.  185 


nearly  $500,000  per  mile.  The  water  along  the  shore  at 
some  places  is  from  three  to  five  hundred  feet  deep.  It 
was  in  this  section  of  the  country,  views  of  which  are 
elsewhere  given,  that  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  spent 
over  $1,500,000  in  dynamite  alone.  The  company  had 
to  use  such  a large  amount  of  this  explosive  that  they 
built  an  establishment  of  their  own  for  its  manufacture  ; 
the  building  was  located  on  an  island,  which  can  be  seen 
from  the  train. 

At  Schreiber,  a divisional  point,  we  changed  engines. 
The  Division  Superintendent  whom  we  met  here  very 
kindly  introduced  the  writer  to  the  engineer  of  this  section 
of  the  road,  a great  fisherman.  He  not  only  told  us  where 
the  best  fishing  was  to  be  had,  but  arranged  with  the  fore- 
man of  the  section  at  Jackfish,  also  quite  a fisherman,  to 
take  us  up  and  down  the  track  on  his  hand-car  as  often  as 
we  might  desire. 

From  Schreiber  to  Jackfish  the  road  is  carried  through 
and  around  many  lofty  and  precipitous  promontories,  and 
over  a great  number  of  high  trestles.  Jackfish  is  beauti- 
fully situated  on  Jackfish  Bay,  The  mouth  of  the  bay  is 
filled  with  islands  and  is  one  of  the  land-locked  harbors  on 
the  north  c^oast  of  Lake  Superior.  The  place  is  known 
principally  as  a fishing  hamlet,  and,  besides  the  depot, 
contains  only  a few  huts  occupied  by  fishermen.  Lake 
trout  from  ten  to  twenty  pounds  in  weight  are  brought  in 
every  evening  by  small  sloops.  These  fish  are  taken  in 
gill  nets  in  the  deep  water  beyond  the  islands.  Quite  a 
number  of  brook  trout  are  also  caught  in  this  way,  each 

boat  bringing  in  from  thirty  to  seventy-five  fish.  The 
24 


California  a7td  Alaska. 


1 86 


fish  are  cleaned  at  once  and  shipped  by  express  to  the 
East,  nearly  every  express  train  which  stops  here  taking 
on  four  or  five  barrels.  When  a fisherman  comes  across 
a particularly  fine  brook  trout,  or  lake  trout,  he  packs 
it  in  ice  and  ships  it  to  some  particular  customer  in 
Ottawa. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  June  4th,  Dr.  McLane  and 
the  writer  started  on  the  hand-car  with  the  section  foreman 
and  three  men,  and  rode  four  miles  east  to  Steel  River, 
crossing  the  railroad  bridge  there  and  going  down  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  where  it  empties  into  Lake  Superior. 

The  river  here  is  filled  with  pools  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  feet  deep,  and  at  other  places  is  from  two  to  three 
feet  deep,  though  the  current  is  very  swift ; it  is  about  one 
hundred  yards  wide.  The  writer  had  scarcely  made  a cast 
before  he  struck  a very  large  trout  ; after  some  very  lively 
work,  playing  him  about  ten  minutes  in  the  swift  current, 
the  fish  was  landed  and  found  to  weigh  about  three 
pounds.  A second  attempt  resulted  in  hooking  another 
trout  not  quite  so  large.  The  fishing  in  this  river  is  said 
to  be  better  than  in  any  other  river  on  the  lake  coast; 
very  few  people,  however,  are  aware  of  this  fact,  nearly  all 
fishing  parties  going  to  the  Nepigon.  After  lunch  we 
went  up  the  river  some  two  miles  north  of  the  railroad 
bridge  to  one  of  the  prettiest  pools  we  had  ever  seen. 
We  had  fairly  good  luck  here  and,  in  the  afternoon, 
returned  on  the  hand-car  to  Jackfish.  On  the  following 
day.  Dr.  McLane  not  feeling  very  well,  the  writer  made 
the  same  trip  without  him,  but  as  the  weather  was  very 
warm  he  met  with  little  success.  One  of  the  men  on  the 


Nepigon  River  and  Bridge,  Caiiadian 
Pacific  Ra-ilway. 


California  and  Alaska. 


fjsh  are  cleaned  at  once  and  shipped  by  express  to"  i}>- 
Kast.  nearly  every  express  train  which  stops  here  taking 
on  four  or  five  barrels.  When  a fisherman  com«rs  across 
a panicuiarly  fine  brook  trout,  or  lake  trout,  he  packs' 
it  in  ice  and  ships,  it  to  some  particular  customer  in 
V>ttavva.  , 


harly  on  the  morning  of  June  4th,  Dr.  McLane  and 
the  writer  started  on  the'hand-car  with  the  section  foreman 
and  three  men,  and  rode  four  miles  east  to  Steel  River, 
crossing  the  railroad  bridge  there  and  going  down  to  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  where  it  empties  into  Lake  Superior. 
The  river  here  is  ; iM.  Ui.e:  c*che  ^ 


fifteen  feet  deep,  and  at  other  places  is  fonn  two  to  tin-se 
feet  deep,  though  the  current  is  very  swift;  it  is  about  one 
hundred  yards  wide.  The  writer  had  scarcely  made  a cast 


work,  playing  him  m>out  t^  minutes^i  the  swift  current, 
the  fisit  was  land'^'^n^muhoHo^  about  three 


p ounds.  .A-  second  attempt  resulted  in  hooking  another 
trout  not  quite  so  large.  The  fishing  in  this  river  is  said 
to  be 'better  than  in  any  other  river  on  the  lake  coast; 
very  few  people,  however,  are  aware  of  this  fact,  nearly  ail 
fislnng  parties  going  to  the  Nepigon.  After  lunch  we 
weiu  up  the  river  some,  two  miles  north  of  the  railroad 
bruii;t;  tg  one  of  the  prettiest  pools  we  had  ever  seen. 
We  had  fairly  good  luck  here  ^nd,  in  the  afternoon, 
returned  n the  hand-car  to  jackfish.  On  the  following 
day,  I lf  Mdjuie  not  feeling  very  well,  the  writer  made 
the  HuiMo  ti\'i  .vithout  him,  but  as  the  weather  was  very 
he  met  Hih  i.itle  success.  One  of  the  men  on  the 


Lake  Stiperior,  Canadian 
Pacijic  Railway. 


% 


vcji^viS'Vv^VX 


•i 


From  Win7tipeg,  Homeward  Bound.  187 


car  had  been  out  in  the  morning  to  a little  brook  called 
Blackbird  Creek,  about  two  miles  west  of  Jackfish,  and 
caught  ten  fine  trout  with  a fly  ; some  of  the  trout  weighed 
as  much  as  four  pounds  each.  After  lunch  the  writer 
took  Mrs.  Webb  and  Mrs.  Purdy  in  a sail-boat,  and  sailed 
over  to  this  creek,  where  we  got  out  and  fished  awhile. 
We  then  went  up  on  a high  trestle  and  waited  for  Mr. 
Van  Horne,  who  was  expected  to  come  along  with  our 
train.  The  day  before  he  had  wired  us  that  he  was  on  his 
way  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  he  would  stop  and  take  up 
our  train  with  his  “special  ’’and  take  us  back  to  Nepigon, 
where  we  had  arranged  to  remain  a couple  of  days  until 
the  boys  came  down  the  river. 

Owing  to  some  little  delay  down  the  line  we  had 
to  wait  on  the  trestle  two  hours,  but  Mr,  Van  Horne 
finally  came  along  and  picked  us  up.  He  and  his  party 
dined  with  us  that  evening,  and  after  leaving  us  at  Nepi- 
gon he  started  westward  for  the  Pacific  coast.  His  last 
words  to  us  were  : “ Make  yourselves  at  home,  and  call  for 
what  you  want.” 

Thursday,  June  6th,  we  spent  at  Nepigon,  waiting  for 
the  boys  to  come  down  the  river,  and  did  but  very  little 
fishing.  The  flies  had  got  to  be  quite  thick,  and  we  had 
to  be  very  careful  all  day  to  keep  them  from  getting  into 
the  cars.  Dr.  McLane  and  the  writer  spent  the  evening 
with  Mr.  Flanagan  and  his  family,  and  were  delightfully 
entertained  by  his  charming  wife  and  daughter.  Mr. 
Flanagan  has  been  located  here  with  his  family  quite 
a number  of  years,  and  is  in  charge  of  the  Hudson  Bay 
property.  Some  foot-races  and  rifle-matches  between  the 


California  and  Alaska. 


1 88 


porters  on  our  train,  which  we  got  up  on  this  afternoon, 
proved  to  be  very  amusing. 

About  six  o’clock  the  next  evening  word  was  brought 
to  us  by  an  Indian  that  our  party  was  coming  down  the 
river  ; we  telegraphed  at  once  to  Port  Arthur  to  send  an 
engine  to  take  us  East.  The  boys  arrived  about  seven 
o’clock,  and,  as  soon  as  possible  after  their  arrival,  we 
started  for  Montreal. 

After  leaving  Jackfish,  our  journey  led  us  through 
a very  wild  and  barren  country,  perhaps  the  most  unin- 
teresting portion  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  road.  There  was 
one  succession  of  small  lakes  and  insignificant  mountains. 
We  changed  engines  four  times  after  we  left  Schreiber — 
at  White  River,  Chapleau,  Carter,  and  Sudbury.  Chap- 
leau  is  charmingly  situated  on  Lake  Kinogama,  and  here 
the  railroad  company  have  workshops,  and  a number  of 
neat  cottages  for  their  employes. 

We  arrived  at  Sudbury  about  evening.  This  place 
has  a connection  with  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Railroad, 
through  to  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  by  the  Duluth, 
South  Shore,  and  Atlantic  and  “ Soo  ” route.  Just  before 
this  time  a new  passenger  line  had  been  opened  from 
Minneapolis  to  Boston  by  this  route.  Large  copper 
mines  are  situated  a short  distance  from  Sudbury,  and 
a number  of  smelting  works  have  been  erected  there. 

We  left  Sudbury  on  the  evening  of  Saturday,  June 
8th,  and  arrived  at  Ottawa  on  the  morning  of  the  9th, 
passing  North  Bay,  a very  pretty  town  on  Lake  Nipis- 
sing,  during  the  night.  The  country  from  Sudbury  to 
North  Bay  is  very  much  frequented  by  sportsmen  ; bear, 


Tow  ofi  Toke  Supeviov — (Lon  I esse  Is 

Rehirning  froi7i  Tkundei"  Bay. 


' California  and  Alaska. 


•'^ters  on  o«r  rr<4jn* which  we  got  up  on  this  afternoon, 
pifcved  11  Very  amusing. 

Af>ov;t  six  o'clock  the  next  evening  word  was  brought 
by  an  Indian  that  our  party  was  coming  down'ihe 
rittr  . w'e  telegraphed  at  once  to  Port  Arthur  to  send  an 
fi^ne  to  take  us  East.  The  boys  arrived  about  seven 
o clock,  and,  as  soon  as  possible  aftef  their  arrival,  w'e 
a:  ted  for  Montreal. 

After  leaving  Jackfish,  our  journey  led  us  through 
a'very  w-jld  and  barren  countr)-,  perhaps  the  most  unin- 
tycstincr  portion  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  road.  Thera..was 
succession  of  lake*  an<l  jutfmoui^ 

Wti  changed  engines  four  times  after  we  left  Schreiber— 
at  White  River,  Qhapieap,  Carter, and  Sudb)-»f<-.'  JC^hap- 


.He  of 

rit^t  eoUi^es  for  their  ernpIo3''ds. 

W»'  arrived  at  Sudbury  about  evening.  This  place 
■nJ  a connection,  with  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie  Railroad, 
^''.'Cgh  to  St.  Paul  and  Minneapolis,  by  the  Duluth, 
'i:tn  ^hore,  and  Atlantic  and  “ Soo  " route.  Just  before 
‘u*’  tune  a new  passenger  line  had  been  opened  from 
Mmi’Uiapolis  to  Boston  by  this  route.  Large  copper 
tmd<  r»  are  situated  a short  distance  from  Sudbury,  and 
TOt  '^er  of  smelting  works  have  been  erected  there. 

\V>  left  Sudbury  on  the  evening  of  Saturday,  June 
iith.  rived  .Vc 'X)ttawa  on  the  morning  of  the  9th, 

p^|ssing  O'  '^n  bluy,  a ver\'  pretty  town  on  Lake  Nipis- 
•ngi  diifinv!  rne  night.  The  country  from  Sudbury  to 
Pa  IS.  i^ujch  frequented  by  sportsmen ; bear. 


Canadian  Pacijic  Railzvay  Station, 
Montreal. 


It’ 


(. 


• • *t 

5 ■■  ' ~dr 

•;  ; * } \ 


• -: 


I 


k ^ 


T I 

..  4 . 


Fi^om  IV innipeg,  1 lomewcmi  Boiuid.  1^9 


moose,  and  deer  are  said  to  abound  througliout  this 

o 

region — such,  at  least,  was  the  statement  made  by  our 
train-hands.  Very  little  timber  seems  to  have  been  cut 
in  this  region,  but  wherever  the  land  has  been  cleared  it 
has  been  immediately  taken  for  agricultural  purposes. 

We  spent  the  morning  in  Ottawa,  and  left  about  one 
o’clock  for  Montreal,  making  the  run  in  three  hours,  and 
arriving  in  the  new  station  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Rail- 
way, near  the  Windsor  Hotel.  It  was  here  that  we 
began  to  feel  that  we  had  almost  completed  our  long  and 
interesting  trip.  On  another  page  an  illustration  is  given 
of  this  new  depot  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  and 
it  is  probably  one  of  the  finest  passenger  depots  in  the 
country. 

Immediately  on  our  arrival  we  went  to  the  Windsor 
Hotel  for  dinner,  and  there  met  the  genial  manager,  Mr. 
Swett,  who  gave  us  a very  cordial  reception,  as  usual.  In 
the  evening  we  walked  around  the  city,  getting  back  to 
the  train  about  bedtime. 

Our  train  was  taken  around  to  the  Grand  Trunk 
Depot,  and,  on  the  morning  of  Monday,  June  loth,  Mr. 
Flagg,  Mr.  Louis  Webb,  and  Mr.  Smith  arrived  from 
New  York  to  welcome  our  return.  We  had  intended  to 
stay  all  day  in  Montreal,  but  towards  noon  the  weather 
became  warm  and  sultry,  and,  as  the  party  became  a little 
restless  and  anxious  to  go  to  Shelburne,  the  writer  tele- 
graphed to  St.  Albans  for  an  engine,  and  we  left  at  five 
o’clock,  reachinor  home  about  three  hours  later.  The  peo- 
pie  of  the  whole  town  turned  out  to  greet  us  on  our  arrival, 
and  gave  us  an  old-fashioned  and  right  hearty  welcome. 


190 


California  and  Alaska. 


Before  closing  this  record  of  our  western  trip,  it  is 
only  proper  to  say  that  the  whole  party  were  unanimous 
in  the  opinion  that  the  courtesy  and  kind  attention  shown 
by  Mr.  Van  Horne  and  all  of  the  officials  connected  with 
the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway  could  never  be  fully  repaid, 
and  that  it  was  only  through  their  efforts  that  our  trip  had 
been  so  thoroughly  enjoyable  and  interesting.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  Mr.  Van  Horne  literally  verified  the 
statement  made  in  a letter  to  the  writer  prior  to  the  com- 
mencement of  our  journey  ; that  statement  was,  that  the 
Canadian  Pacific  Railway  was  at  the  disposal  of  the  writer 
to  come  and  go  on  as  he  willed,  and  that  all  he  had  to  do 
was  to  command.  Mr.  Van  Horne’s  generous  hospitality 
was  certainly  thoroughly  appreciated  by  every  member  of 
the  party,  and  will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  writer. 

THE  END. 


p-,- 


i 

1 


1 


f 


■ ^ 


i 


rv 


■t  z i \ 

* j 

,'C 


/ 


i 


w... 


i 


t • 


i 

ft 


■3 


•| 


A 'TSt;.  '£■ 


V t 


;Sjff  iW  W“?!4r  5P*(n^^j!r jS,S^w 


iS^St" 


4 sk  ^ 


